[ad_1]
I’ve been using it for a few days Huawei Matebook 14 (2020), the new laptop from the Huawei range. It is an ultrabook with a minimalist and airy design. At first glance we could say that it is intended for navigation, perhaps for easy work, but it hides under the hood a powerful processor from AMD that it can also handle some games and photo-video editing programs. Next I’ll show you how the Huawei MateBook 14 performs and what it can do.
Construction and design
The laptop measures 307.5mm in length, 223.8mm in width and has a thickness of only 15.9 mm. It weighs about 1.5kg, but the weight is not exactly evenly distributed, giving the feeling that it is heavier than in reality.
However, Huawei has made no compromises when it comes to construction. We have it here an aluminum alloy housing, the hinge and the touchpad are made of plastic. It is very pleasant to the touch, the joints are good and overall it denotes that premium and quality look that the Chinese company has accustomed us to. On the lid we have the Huawei logo and on the sides there are the ports. In the back we find the two rubber supports stretched horizontally which support and allow the laptop to cool down, the notebook coolers are located at the base.
Unfortunately, it does not allow one-handed opening, but once the lid is lifted, we are greeted by a 14-inch non-touch screen, IPS, with 3: 2 aspect ratio Resolution 2160 x 1440 of pixels. In addition, it offers almost 100% colors in the sRGB spectrum it’s at brightness of 300 nit. It also has a 90% body-to-screen ratio thanks to its thin edges. The viewing experience is excellent, we also have wide viewing angles and a contrast of 1000: 1.
Keyboard and trackpad
The keyboard is very well spaced and the key pressure is quite long. I also noticed that it is quiet and I adapted easily. However, it only comes on in two stages, but I can’t say I struggled at night or in low light. Just like Huawei did, the 1MP camera is positioned under one of the keys and can shoot in 720P quality. Next to the keyboard there is the power button with integrated fingerprint sensor, very fast.
The laptop also integrates a generously sized touchpad that offers good accuracy. Its surface is plastic, but it is pleasant to the touch and also supports multi touch, complementing the precision of Windows.
Performanță
In the version I tested, MateBook 14 hosts an AMD Ryzen 5 4600H hexa-core processor based on the 7nm architecture. But what’s notable about this model is that the base frequency is 3.0 GHz and it can turbo up to 4.0 Ghz. As a graphics solution, it adopts the full AMD Radeon Vega video card, which does a great job. Plus, we have more 16 GB of DDR4 RAM with frequencies at 2666 MHz and a 500 GB SSD for storage.
I have tested the laptop using CoreTemp with PCmark 10and you can see the values obtained above. In short, the cooling system is very good. The temperature is constant between 30-40 degrees C during normal use. It only reaches 90-95 ° C if overloaded by programs or games with extreme graphics. Even then the laptop will return to the base frequency (3Ghz), and in a few seconds the temperature will drop, going back into turbo boost as soon as possible. However, despite the fact that we have a quiet keyboard, the coolers are noisy, they only activate when the laptop gets hot. When it comes to overheating, it’s only inside, the case stays pretty cold and the high temperatures don’t bother during use. Obviously, in normal use (web browsing, viewing multimedia content) it is silent.
Gaming
I didn’t think I’d include this category in an ultrabook review, but here it is Huawei MateBook 14 I was determined to do it. I tested the laptop in two competitive games: CS Go and Dota 2. But given the performance obtained, I thought I’d try it in GTA V. Here are the values obtained:
- CS Go – 40-45- Constant FPS on high details and native resolution, 2K;
- It equips 2 – consistent 60-70 FPS, with details set to a very high and ultra 2K native resolution
- GTA V – constant 30-35 FPS, medium details, Full-HD resolution
We get a console experience in a compact and portable case. Cooling does a great job, so the performance does not decrease even after 20-30 minutes of play. But I said it’s not a gaming intensive laptop, it was made for increased productivity. Reducing the resolution and detail remains a solution to consider, so as not to put too much pressure on the configuration. While I haven’t had a chance to try it out, I’m sure it runs a basic video editing program as well.
Autonomy
Huawei has included this notebook one 56 Wh Li-Po battery. In addition to the battery optimization modes already built into Windows, Huawei has optimized the software (Windows 10 Home) specifically for this model, so it uses resources efficiently. I got about 10 hours of continuous use, with the brightness set to 60-70% in web browsing. From my point of view it is excellent autonomy for an ultraportable. But when it comes to gaming or video editing, the setup will again use more resources autonomy will decrease a little.
Charging the device is done quickly with the 65 W charger found in the package, via the USB-C socket. I like that Huawei delivered a compact size charger, being only slightly larger than a phone charger (on the right is the Huawei Mate 40 Pro charger).
Sound
MateBook 14 integrates two speakers of 2W each. Although they are placed on the back, they do not distort, the sound is clear, strong and with some bass. We also have the software Nahimic on board, through which we can modify the sound to our liking. As for the microphones, there are 4, also located below, in the front of the device.
connectivity
In terms of connectivity, the ultrabook has a USB-C port, two USB-A Gen 3.2 ports, an HDMI port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. I would have liked Huawei to integrate two USB-C ports, one on the left and one on the right. However, in terms of compact size, I’m glad to see it could include so many.
We also have IEEE 802.11a / b / g / n / ac Wi-Fi, with 2 x 2 MIMO technology onboard, which supports 2.4GHz networks, complies with WPA / WPA2 / WPA3 5GHz and Bluetooth 5.0.
Special features
Huawei has included a dedicated utility, PC Manager, which provides us with updates for any driver (18 total) and can detect problems on the device. Also from here we optimize the system and the function of the keys: we connect the Huawei phone to the laptop by simply touching the touchpad. I had a Huawei Mate 40 Pro at my disposal which immediately paired with the notebook. I used Multi-Screen Collaboration and Huawei Share. The file transfer was very quick and easy, and screen mirroring experienced no lags or crashes. If you want to know what other terminals it works with, you can consult the list of supported devices right here.
In other words, Huawei has integrated an ingenious design and adapted it so that nothing goes to waste. I told you earlier it was at the base the two rubberized supports. Well, a seemingly trivial thing can change many things for the better. The main purpose of the stand is to keep the notebook tall and stable so that the airflow is constant. A second aspect is the speakers. If the laptop did not stay on the desk all the time, the acoustics would suffer. The four microphones are also integrated at the bottom. Placing all these elements at the base, the ultrabook design is not affected and the performance is maximum.
conclusions
The AMD Ryzen 5 4600H processor does a great job and takes performance to another level. The strengths of the Huawei MateBook 14 are: excellent battery life, above average processing power and greater portability. I would see it used by people looking for something like this. Perhaps for photography enthusiasts, who also mount on the go, vloggers or even backpackers, it would be an excellent choice. However, while it pleasantly surprised me, let’s not forget that it’s not a laptop for intensive gaming. It’s nice to know that we can play a competitive game with friends from time to time.
Price and availability
Huawei MateBook 14 is available in the following online stores:
.
[ad_2]
Source link
