HP ZBook 15u G5 review: Mixing design and function

HP makes some beautiful premium laptops — just look at the Spectre lineup — alongside a wide range of other products, like gaming desktops, portable ii-in-1s, and workstations. The final in that list doesn't exactly audio like it's something sexy, only HP has attempted to bridge the gap between premium and workhorse with the ZBook 15u G5.

It'southward the thinnest and lightest device in the Z workstation lineup, so you lot can expect some functioning compromises while likewise coming together requirements for design software and hitting targets for security and ease of use. Permit's take a look at what yous can expect from the ZBook 15u, and whether or not information technology's the right laptop for yous.

About this review

HP loaned Windows Cardinal a review unit of the ZBook 15u G5 mobile workstation. This specific model has inside an eighth Gen Intel Core i7-8650U vPro processor (CPU), 32GB of DDR4 RAM, a 512GB PCIe NVMe solid-state drive (SSD), an AMD Radeon Pro WX3100 graphics menu (GPU) with 2GB of GDDR5 VRAM, and a 15.half dozen-inch 4K display. Look to pay virtually $3,100 for this decked-out model, though baseline models first closer to about $1,585.

Run across at HP

HP ZBook 15u G5 review hardware and specifications

Category	Twenty
Processor	eighth Gen Intel Core i7-8650U vPro Quad-core
Display	fifteen.vi-inch three,840 10 2,160 (UHD) IPS UWVA
RAM	32GB DDR4-2400MHz Dual-aqueduct
Storage	512GB PCIe NVMe SSD
Graphics	AMD Radeon Pro WX3100 2GB GDDR5 VRAM
Ports	Thunderbolt 3 HDMI 1.four Two USB-A three.1 RJ45 Ethernet 3.5mm audio HP Ultraslim dock microSD bill of fare reader Smart Menu reader
Speakers	Dual stereo Bang & Olufsen
Wireless	Intel Dual Band Wireless-Air-conditioning 8265 802.11ac (2 x 2) Bluetooth 4.2
Photographic camera	Front end-facing 720p
Security	TPM ii.0 HP Sure Showtime Gen 4
Biometrics	IR camera Fingerprint reader
Keyboard	Total with number pad Backlit
Touchpad	Precision Physical buttons and point stick
Battery	Three-cell 56Wh
Weight	Starting at iii.89 pounds (ane.76 kg)
Dimensions	14.6 inches x nine.91 inches ten 0.72 inches (370.84 mm ten 251.71 mm x 18.29 mm)

HP ZBook 15u G5 review design and features

Designed past the aforementioned coiffure that worked on the beautiful Spectre xiii, HP'southward ZBook 15u G5 is understandably a slick laptop. For a 15.6-inch device it's very thin at simply 0.72 inches, reminding me immediately of the LG gram 15Z980, and it'southward light enough that you won't listen carrying it around, especially when considering the performance tradeoff. The hinge is sturdy, but you can open the hat with 1 hand.

The silverish chassis is fabricated of anodized aluminum, with a simple HP logo on the cover. On the inside, around the keyboard and touchpad, the same material does a decent job of hiding oil from hands. The laptop has passed xiv MIL-STD-820G3 tests, so there's no question that it volition put upwardly with quite a bit of abuse. I wouldn't hesitate to accept this workstation into the field.

In that location are 8 Phillips-caput screws holding the dorsum plate on, which are easily removed if you lot'd similar to tinker inside yourself. It seems as though the storage is untouchable, just you can add together or replace the RAM yourself every bit long every bit it'southward HP branded. If not, your warranty disappears. It would be nice to exist able to have a bit more wiggle room hither, especially when information technology comes to upgrading the SSD downwards the line.

Plentiful ports permit you to connect more than devices when on the go, and you shouldn't have a space problem using most ports simultaneously. On the right side at that place's a microSD menu reader, a 3.5mm audio jack, USB-A, HDMI, Ethernet, Thunderbolt 3 (with four lanes of PCIe), and an Ultraslim dock port that's been left intact by and large for those enterprise customers who don't desire to invest in a new armada of Thunderbolt 3 docking stations. On the left side there'south an additional USB-A port and a Smart Card reader.

HP has packed the ZBook 15u total of security features that admins and users alike can capeesh. The IR camera and standard webcam have a shutter for additional privacy (only available on the non-touch configurations), a Sure View display screen is available with the FHD version, Sure Start checks on startup to ensure the BIOS hasn't been compromised and will accept actions if it has, and a fingerprint reader set out of the way on the right palm rest adds another method of signing in. There'southward too the Smart Menu reader for a final layer of protection. Signing in, you hardly become to see the Windows Hullo screen before you're past information technology.

Blindside & Olufsen lends its tuning to the dual speaker setup in the ZBook 15u, which extends nicely across the top of the keyboard with a triangular grate. Sound is loud and full, with a small-scale fleck of crackling at high volume. To aid in collaboration on the go, there are two globe-facing microphones on the chapeau that pick up ambience sound and eliminate information technology. Anyone who'south tried to have a meeting in a busy coffee shop tin immediately appreciate this feature.

HP ZBook 15u G5 review brandish

At that place are a bunch of different display and camera options available at checkout, but the ane I have hither is essentially the top option as far every bit cost. It'southward not a touchscreen, merely it has a 4K resolution and neat color, contrast, and viewing angles. Testing the brandish'south color gamut, I got 99 percent sRGB and 77 percent AdobeRGB. Information technology has adaptive brightness to continue the display visible when moving between environments, simply it could exist brighter, especially if you lot're going to be using information technology outside.

The bezel isn't awful, and there's certainly a lot of hardware fit into the strip along the meridian. The sides are thinner, and the mentum really matches the thickness of the top bezel, giving information technology a squeamish aesthetic. If you run into the ZBook 15u as more of a work laptop, it'south not much different from the competitors.

HP ZBook 15u G5 review keyboard and touchpad

Space is used wisely here, with a full keyboard with number pad and a large touchpad with concrete buttons and pointing stick. Letters and numbers are plain engraved into the keys to avert them rubbing abroad, in that location's enough of key travel for a comfortable typing experience, and three levels of backlight brand it piece of cake to work into the dark.

HP has included collaboration keys forth the F row, letting yous answer or hang upward Skype calls quickly and easily. Unfortunately these keys don't work with any other software, so if you lot don't use Skype for Business, you're out of luck. I too couldn't seem to get the display brightness keys working, and though y'all go the luxury of adaptive brightness, information technology's odd that yous don't accept the pick to quickly suit it yourself. I presume information technology'south something wonky with drivers.

I beloved a large touchpad, and even though some of the infinite is taken up by physical buttons to go along with the pointing stick saturday in the middle of the keyboard, I had no bug here. It has a solid click and its Precision driver means it works with all Windows ten gestures.

HP ZBook 15u G5 review performance

Office of the tradeoff of having i of the thinnest and lightest mobile workstations on the market is sticking with U-series 8th Gen Intel Core CPUs. Yes, you however go four cores, simply overall you lot won't go the same functioning equally from some of the other variants.

Birthday, with the AMD Radeon Pro WX3100 GPU, lightning-fast SSD, and 32GB of RAM, the ZBook 15u is a strong multitasker that tin can handle design software. I put information technology through a relatively light workload compared to what some will put it through, and it certainly won't match some of the true workstations out in that location. In any example, the fan inside is tranquility and the laptop doesn't get besides hot, even when under load.

The chief gripe I take is with the 56Wh battery. An FHD model would no doubt get decent bombardment life, but with the 4K display I have here I saw between nearly 5 and 6 hours of life from a charge when using the laptop regularly. This isn't a lot of time, specially when you're working on the go. Stick with a lower-res display for best results.

CPU GPU PCMark SSD

CPU

Geekbench 4.0 benchmarks (college is improve)

Device	CPU	Unmarried cadre	Multi cadre
HP ZBook 15u G5	i7-8650U	4,853	16,075
Lenovo ThinkPad T480	i5-8250U	three,940	12,559
Lenovo ThinkPad T470	i5-7300U	4,394	8,580
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Tablet	i7-8650U	4,971	14,289
Microsoft Surface Pro	i7-7660U	4,513	9,346
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon	i7-8650U	v,025	xiv,178
Dell XPS 13 (9370)	i7-8550U	4,681	14,816
Lenovo Yoga 730 xiii	i5-8250U	iv,178	13,354
Lenovo ThinkPad X280	i5-8250U	4,061	13,017
LG gram fifteen	i7-8550U	5,033	12,906
Samsung Notebook nine Pro 15	i7-7500U	4,431	8,669

The 8th Gen Intel Core i7 CPU delivers great functioning when compared to other concern laptops, but I remember those who plan on using a mobile workstation for video editing or other intensive purposes might desire to wait at something like the ZBook Studio, which employs H-series and Xeon Intel CPUs.

GPU

Geekbench 4.0 OpenCL (college is better)

Device	Compute score
HP ZBook 15u G5 (AMD)	42,071
Lenovo ThinkPad T480	18,245
Lenovo ThinkPad T470	21,276
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Tablet	22,211
Microsoft Surface Pro	xxx,678
Lenovo Yoga 730 13	21,000
Lenovo ThinkPad X280	21,142
LG gram 15	22,334
Samsung Notebook 9 Pro xv	19,769

The inclusion of an AMD Radeon Pro WX3100 GPU with 2GB of dedicated GDDR5 VRAM ups the performance considerably, allowing users to tackle more than intensive multimedia editing or design software than with integrated Intel graphics.

PCMark

PCMark (Home Conventional 3.0)

Device	Score
HP ZBook 15u G5	3,323
Lenovo ThinkPad T480	3,254
Lenovo ThinkPad T470	3,103
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Tablet	3,059
Microsoft Surface Pro	3,055
Lenovo Yoga 730 13	3,121
Lenovo ThinkPad X280	3,335
LG gram 15	3,395
Samsung Notebook ix Pro 15	three,542

The PCMark Home Conventional test measures how well the hardware in a laptop works together to accomplish usual tasks. The ZBook 15u performs admirably, but it'due south not pushing anything further than a lot of other laptops we've tested.

SSD

CrystalDiskMark (higher is improve)

Device	Read	Write
HP ZBook 15u G5	3,448.0 MB/south	i,566.4 MB/s
Lenovo ThinkPad T480	1,738.one MB/due south	i,174.9 MB/southward
Lenovo ThinkPad T470	1,079 MB/due south	716.1 MB/s
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Tablet	3,398.1 MB/s	1,946.6 MB/s
Microsoft Surface Pro	1,284 MB/s	963 MB/s
Lenovo Yoga 730 13	2,790.6 MB/s	506.eight MB/s
Lenovo ThinkPad X280	3,366.one MB/s	ane,901.five MB/s
LG gram xv	554.1 MB/south	449.6 MB/due south
Samsung Notebook 9 Pro 15	549.9 MB/southward	519.3 MB/s

HP uses a Z Turbo drive system with the Samsung SM961 SSD, and the results are impressive. It'southward faster than other laptops I've tested, and the performance shows constantly while you employ the device.

HP ZBook 15u G5 review conclusion

Overall, the HP ZBook 15u G5 does a fine job of mixing useability features, security, and durable pattern. No, it'south probably not what you'd consider a workstation in the traditional sense, simply it is undoubtedly a workhorse that tin can deliver a scrap more than what a standard Ultrabook has to offer. Y'all can feel safety working on sensitive documents no matter where you are, it really is a pleasure to use on a daily basis, and you won't exist lugging effectually a five-pound monster to your concern appointments.

The battery is disappointing when paired with the 4K display, and the fact that you can simply upgrade RAM with HP-certified hardware is a drag for those who like to tinker. The toll is besides an issue. With this model just over the $iii,000 marking, you really have to ask yourself whether or not the fairly standard performance is outweighed by the flashy design and actress features.

Who is this laptop for?

The amount of security features here volition undoubtedly appeal to many, and information technology pushes the premises of the standard Ultrabook, but those looking for exceptional performance for specialized tasks will likely desire to look elsewhere.

Come across at HP

Pros:

• Quality build, slick design.
• Full keyboard and large touchpad.
• Lots of ports.
• Plenty of security features.

Cons:

• Upgradeability could be a lot better.
• Battery life is disappointing.
• Pricey.

We may earn a committee for purchases using our links. Learn more.

Ane of the greats

Xbox legend Shannon Loftis retires from Microsoft after 29 years

Shannon Loftis appear her retirement from Microsoft today, subsequently 29 years with the company. Loftis has been with Xbox for decades, having built franchises similar Fable, Banjo Kazooie, and many more than, and recently revived Age of Empires from its long slumber.

You don't have to survive the apocalypse alone

Dying Lite 2 co-op: How to play with online with friends

Dying Light 2 is an splendid game, simply it's even more than fun when you lot play it in co-op with your friends. Here'due south a guide on how you and your friends tin play together, equally well every bit what you need to know about how online play functions.

Source: https://www.windowscentral.com/hp-zbook-15u-g5-review

Posted by: quinnsprome.blogspot.com

Share this post