Dell Venue 11 Pro. Z3795 and 4GB makes all the difference. (Summary review.)

Posted on 25 June 2015, Last updated on 02 March 2020 by

I’ve just completed a detailed review of the Dell Venue 11 Pro 5130. This is the Atom-based version (there’s a Core-based version too) and it comes with 4GB of RAM, a full USB 3.0 port and the high-end, full 64-bit Z3795 CPU. The difference in usability between this and 2GB Z3745-style Windows 8 tablets was marked. Here’s a summary.

Dell Venue 11 Pro 5130 Z3795-9356
Dell Venue 11 Pro 5130 Z3795-9356

The Dell Venue range all have good screens with some of the blackest blacks in the Windows tablet market. The 5130 here has an impressively high max brightness too so the contrast is way over 1000:1. The 11. 8-inch 1920 x 1080 screen punches, but it’s also heavy and I found the 770 grams to be too heavy, especially as it’s a very wide tablet.

Build quality is excellent and there’s really nothing you can call sub standard here. You’re getting a full Windows 8.1 Pro OS and an extensive set of BIOS options. If you’re concerned with security of data, and happy to be using Windows, this has everything you need except a 3G/4G module for location-tracking.

I only tested the tablet but there’s two keyboard options available for this so if you’re interested in something like the Surface 3 and don’t want the Type-Cover style keyboard, this is an option. Even the performance is up there with the Surface 3 and that was the really pleasing part of review. 4GB RAM and the extra CPU clock turn this from a ‘just enough’ Windows PC into a usable desktop PC. The USB 3.0 port is good too because you can just plug a USB 3.0 DisplayLink dock/adapter in and start working.

Perceived performance isn’t quite comparable to something like the Acer Switch 12 with Core M but I get the impression that it’s more to do with disk speed than CPU-related issues. The eMMC, while reasonably good among comparable tablets, just isn’t fast enough for many Windows tasks. The first hours after boot-up is torture as indexing, updates and anti-virus checks hog the system. You’ll find the updates stretch over days now that Windows 8.1 has been around for a while. Graphics performance isn’t that special although it’s noticeably better, again, than Baytrail-M tablets clocked at 1.33 Ghz. Windows Store gaming is fun and I got caught up with Drift Street Mania for at least an hour! There’s potential for a bit of video editing, perhaps even full HD editing because the Quick Sync silicon benefits from the higher clock. It’s half the speed of a Surface Pro 3 though so don’t get too excited about editing in the field.

Great standby battery life indicates a well-designed mainboard and overall the battery life was acceptable. You’ll probably get 10 hours of video playback on a flight (low-light) and if you take a spare battery you’ll be able to swap it in. Yes, the Dell Venue 11 Pro 5130 has a user-removable battery.

Dell Venue 11 Pro 5130 with removable rear cover.
Dell Venue 11 Pro 5130 with removable rear cover.

The Dell Venue 11 Pro is a really well-built tablet but it doesn’t have any consumer sparkle. It’s too heavy for consumers, too wide, has a limited app store, will be expensive with a keyboard and looks very boring. But it’s not meant for consumers. This is a tablet for road warriors that need security, flexibility, good battery life and a solid construction. A good range of accessories supplements the Pro branding.

There aren’t many devices that fit in the same class as the Dell Venue 11 Pro (5130) but one thing is for sure, the 2013-launched Z3000 series is nearing the end of its life and despite the good performance this product is going to ‘age’ quickly. The new Lenovo Thinkpad 10 (Atom X5 / X7) and the Surface 3 (Atom X7) are just two examples. To that end, look out for offers on the Dell Venue 11 Pro 5130 because it’s one of the best examples of an Atom Z3000-series tablet.

My full review of the Dell Venue 11 Pro 5130 is here. Datasheet here.

2 Comments For This Post

  1. Meengla Yip says:

    When will hybrid/ 2 in 1 maker realize that the display/stand mode is a great help in the usability of touch devices? I’d buy the higher end version (the Core M, 7174) of this Venue Pro with its Mobility Keyboard in a heart-beat had the stand mode been available.

  2. joe says:

    I just got the venue 11 7140
    M5y72, don’t know the performance difference with the z3795 but its very good and am selling my laptop.as won’t need it

Search UMPCPortal

Find ultra mobile PCs, Ultrabooks, Netbooks and handhelds PCs quickly using the following links:

Acer Aspire Switch 10
10.1" Intel Atom Z3745
Acer C740
11.6" Intel Celeron 3205U
VIA Nanobook
7.0" VIA C7-M
Lenovo Ideapad Flex 10
10.1" Intel Celeron N2806
Acer Aspire E11 ES1
11.6" Intel Celeron N2840
Dell Chromebook 11
11.6" Intel Celeron 2955U
Dell Latitude E7440
14.0" Intel Core i5-4200U
Acer TravelMate B113
11.6" Intel Core i3
HP Elitebook 820 G2
12.5" Intel Core i5 5300U
Acer Chromebook 11 CB3-131
11.6" Intel Celeron N2807