HUAWEI’s new ultrabook is now available with the powerful yet power-efficient AMD Ryzen 5 5500U processor. We have on the test – just such a version with 16 GB of RAM.
Working remotely has become increasingly popular in recent years, and this trend isn’t likely to slow down any time soon. The need for mobile business laptops that let you work wherever you are is also increasing at the same time. Therefore, it is not surprising that manufacturers are releasing more and more new models of these devices. They are getting smaller and more dependable, and their performance is getting better.
The recently released AMD-powered HUAWEI MateBook 14 is an excellent example of one such laptop. The new MateBook makes a strong impression as a kind of universal fighter in terms of size and features, equally suitable for playing popular games and doing everyday office work. Let’s find out how accurate the initial impression was.
Appearance.
The laptop was given a case made of an aluminum alloy that is both lightweight and strong and has been polished with diamonds. The Huawei logo is engraved on the case’s cover. It is 15.9mm thin and only 1.49kg in weight, making it nearly the industry standard for business laptops today.
The display itself takes up 90% of the area covered by the screen’s bezels, which have a maximum thickness of 4.9 mm on three sides. The dimensions of the laptop must be taken into consideration.
Review of the HUAWEI MateBook 14 laptop: high performance and a great screen.
The switch to 3:2 proportions from the previous 16:10 proportions is the most recent trend for laptops with small diagonals. In other words, the screen gets a little bit taller and a little bit narrower. To fit more useful information on one screen when working with websites and documents is what it’s for.
Despite its small form factor, the laptop has a full-sized keyboard with minimal key travel and a cozy navigation block. A two-level illumination system is available. Without using any tricks, like pressing Fn in combination, it can be turned on by pressing the F3 key.
A hidden key is located between F6 and F7, and inside it is a camera. You can close the lens and not worry about privacy thanks to a HUAWEI-exclusive solution.
A circular power button with an integrated fingerprint reader is located above the keyboard. The sensor reacts very quickly, and recognition precision is very close to 100%. Under the keyboard, there is a sizable touchpad. Not in this manner. There is only one enormous touchpad, and it is wonderful to use.
Screen.
14 inches on each side.
2160×1440-pixel resolution.
The HUAWEI MateBook 14 comes with a 14-inch FullView display that, considering its size, has an incredibly high resolution of 2160×1440 pixels. Such a laptop is ideal for working with graphics because it has a screen that fully covers the sRGB color space. The screen also has an anti-flicker protection feature and a blue light filter that is certified by TÜV Rheinland to reduce eye strain.
Review of the Huawei MateBook 14 laptop.
It should come as no surprise that the screen has wide viewing angles since it is constructed using an IPS-matrix. For a business laptop, it’s crucial that the image be clearly visible to everyone seated nearby if you are discussing regular tables, graphs, or pictures on the screen with colleagues. This rule is adhered to in full here.
Performance.
AMD Ryzen 5 5500U processor.
AMD Radeon graphics are integrated.
16 GB DDR4-3200 RAM.
Storage: A 512 GB PCle NVMe SSD.
The newest AMD Ryzen 5 5500U 6-core multi-threaded processor, created specifically for small laptops, is used in the HUAWEI MateBook 14. It is manufactured in accordance with 7nm process technology standards and successfully combines high performance and excellent energy efficiency for small laptops.
The AMD Ryzen 5 5500U powers the business with an impressive 16GB of RAM, which makes it even more intriguing. Once more, this demonstrates that ultrabooks are not at all “typewriters,” as many users still believe. For instance, the HUAWEI MateBook 14 can “pull” many contemporary games as well as office programs thanks to its unique features (perhaps with the exception of AAA games that demand strong discrete graphics).
Having said that, let’s talk about resource-intensive tasks. The laptop has a high performance mode that can only be used when plugged into a wall outlet by pressing the Fn + P keys simultaneously. It is best to avoid using it unless absolutely necessary because, in this mode, the HUAWEI Shark cooling system, which consists of two fans and two heat pipes, starts to operate actively. Although they only rustle quietly in normal mode, the sound of the coolers rotating becomes clearly audible.
Interfaces.
2x USB-A (USB 3.2 Gen 1) devices.
1x USB-C.
1x HDMI.
3 point 5 mm audio jack only.
Bluetooth 5.0 and Wi-Fi 5 2X2 MIMO.
The HUAWEI MateBook 14 avoided the common issue of interface shortage in thin laptops. Traditional USB-A and contemporary USB-C (which is also used for charging) are both available. It will be simple to connect the laptop to a projector or an external monitor because an HDMI connector was even placed in the right spot.
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autonomy.
Any business laptop should be able to operate for at least eight hours without recharging, or an entire working day. It is therefore not surprising that HUAWEI also considered this situation when HUAWEI MateBook 14 was given a 56 Wh battery. It can support up to 11 hours of downloaded Full HD video playback, according to the manufacturer.
The device easily withstood a conditional working day in our cycle of work (mainly browsers and email over Wi-Fi). The fact that you can charge a smartphone with the same adapter is incredibly convenient. The kit already comes with a 65 W charger. If the battery is dead but you still need to work, connecting for only 15 minutes will allow you to keep going for 2.5 hours without an outlet.