HP ZBook 15 Workstation Notebook review

Mobile phone workstations are participating in a league of their own compared to consumer group or else even interest group notebooks. They are relatively greater, steep, bulky and something but minimalistic. However, we’d be alive damned if they couldn’t get a hold demanding workloads complete in the blink of an eye and reliably.

The HP ZBook chain succeeds the admittedly crowded ProBook/EliteBook chain of workstations and starts afresh with a up-to-the-minute, simpler naming convention. We touched ahead the ZBook 17 in-depth much-lamented persist day and walked away quite impressed. The up-to-the-minute chain is supplementary than definitely a clean celebrity alter; it’s in addition the a good number overhauled iteration yet of an HP workstation.

Our ZBook 15 participating in go over continues this trend and is physically identical to its better brother together with the bodywork material and feel of the grand piano. The fashion on offer is equipped with a principal i7-4800MQ, 16 GB DDR3L RAM, Quadro K610M graphics, 500 GB 7200 RPM HDD + 32 GB SSD accumulation and a 1080p put on show. Combined with its wide-reaching connectivity options, the ZBook 15 starts next to $1699 and can top $2999 retail. How well does the ZBook 15 deposit adjacent to the likes of dip and Lenovo participating in the mobile phone workstation arena?

Project

Like the bigger ZBook 17, project quality is admirable all-around on the ZBook 15. The aluminum alloy lid and foundation plate are rigid and command lone warp minimally under moderate pressure. Resistance to twisting and feelings are in addition admirable on the lid, ignoble and hinges, which is like to the EliteBook predecessors. Since the ZBook does not operate a unibody design, individual areas like the inner put on show bezel and palm rests can feel plastic, but are otherwise thick and definitely having the status of tough to the stir.

The business design of the fashion is surprisingly charming on behalf of a mobile phone workstation and compares well adjacent to dip Precision models or else the Lenovo ThinkPad W chain, both of which incorporate boxier and usually supplementary lackluster designs. HP advertises its wedge design of the ZBook having the status of innovative and smooth, which isn’t saw much on behalf of a workstation, but is a sufficient amount to deposit away adjacent to its duller competitors. The rubberized perimeter and edges of the lid, on behalf of illustration, feel purely aesthetic, but notably adds to the appeal of the all-matte and jet black ZBook 15. HP has managed to build an aesthetically agreeable workstation while outstanding relatively light (2.82 kg) and thinner (30.5 mm) than the ThinkPad W530 (2.81 kg,  36 mm) and Precision M7800 (3.18 kg, 40 mm).

A individual design amount approved on from the EliteBook is the not fixed screwless plate underneath on behalf of quick access to internals or else HDD amputation. According to HP, the screwless design was a fiery call from users who possibly will not at all times control the appropriate tools prepared, so broad upgrades are made much easier. It would control been distinguished to control the optical drive be alive an with no trouble user-friendly modular bay on behalf of even supplementary expandability, though this is a minor complaint.


Connectivity

Workstations usually control the a good number connectivity options vacant participating in a notebook and the ZBook 15 is refusal exception. Both DisplayPort and Thunderport are vacant having the status of well having the status of a USB 2.0 seaport and VGA-out on behalf of bequest support. Present are refusal HDMI, Firewire or else eSATA ports, however, having the status of found on the Precision M4800 and ThinkPad W530, in that order. Present is a proprietary docking seaport on behalf of added relatives down the road.

Seaport positioning is at all times tricky what time present are so many relatives to handiwork with. On the ZBook 15, ports are seemingly placed next to random on three of the four sides. We would control liked on behalf of a quantity of of the ports to be alive enthused closer to the rear to save desk area, especially the DisplayPort and Thunderbolt ports having the status of their respective cables keep an eye on to be alive thicker or else supplementary rigid than USB or else audio cables. The vacant SIM slot can lone be alive accessed behind chief removing the battery module underneath.


Letter
Both WLAN and WWAN are configurable on the ZBook 15 with support on behalf of SIM cards and UMTS/HSPA+. Our fashion is fitted with a dual-band (2x2) Intel Centrino 6235 having the status of found on a integer of newer Ultrabooks like the Asus Zenbook Prime UX31 on behalf of WLAN speeds up to a imaginary 300 Mbps and an HP HS3110 WWAN PCI-e MiniCard on behalf of 3G connectivity with WCDMA/HSPA/HSPA+ or else EDGE/GPRDS/GSM networks. We had refusal random drops or else connectivity issues with the WLAN or else GPS radios.

Security
Data protection is premium on behalf of workstations, which is luckily solitary of HP’s formidable points having the status of a overall IT interest. The ZBook 15 ships with a integer of defensive software and hardware skin tone from its fingerprint scanner and Smart tag support to TPM 1.2 compliancy and Client Security programs from both HP and Intel. Away from the anticipated Kensington lock on behalf of anti-theft, the HP 3D DriveGuard software makes benefit from of an accelerometer to reduce the run the risk of of a grueling drive be in charge crash participating in project of cataract or else impacts.

Accessories
Add-ons be plentiful on behalf of the ZBook 15, together with generic seaport replicators from HP and enthusiastic docking stations to get as far as benefit from of the docking seaport. The port add a glut of relatives together with DVI, eSATA adapters, corresponding ports and successive ports.

Warranty
HP throws participating in a 3-year warranty with sufficient of added options via their worry group instruct. Protection ranges from clean warranty extensions to 24/7 refurbish support.



Grand piano
The backlit grand piano (35.25 cm x 11.5 cm) is identical to to of the ZBook 17 and performs similarly. The keys provide somewhat soft reaction with to the point travel what time short of, but are otherwise quick to respond and unproblematic to benefit from. Supplementary in turn on grand piano performance can be alive seen participating in our bursting go over of the ZBook 17.

Touchpad
Despite the ZBook 15 being physically minor than the ZBook 17, their touchpads are identical participating in size (103 x 59 mm) and feel. Both benefit from the same Synaptics LuxPad V1.6 software and are smooth and precise on behalf of steadfast benefit from. Multi-touch gestures up to three fingers are configurable and drumming anywhere on the touchpad command register a not here click by default. On behalf of broad benefit from, we found the touchpad to be alive a smidgen easier to control than the hollow track button.

Meanwhile, the surrounding six buttons are all configurable with quiet-but-firm responses what time clicked. They are positive having the status of shortcut keys and feel much supplementary uniform than the keys of the Precision M6800 or else ThinkPad W530. These keys on the HP are a smidgen too unproblematic to depress, however, so inadvertent inputs can occur.



The AUO11ED B156HW01 put on show is 1080p and, like a good number other workstations, a lusterless IPS panel on behalf of better viewing angles and ensign. Texts and images appear discharge with refusal important ghosting or else bleeding issues. Though 1080p ought to be alive sufficient on behalf of a good number users, notebooks participating in broad are creation to move to top resolutions and denser pixels. The Precision M4800, on behalf of illustration, has already made the move to a 3200 x 1800 promise put on show, so we fully expect impending ZBook models to result suit.

Our measured screen brightness averages close to 300 nits, which is sufficient on behalf of a 15.6-inch lusterless put on show under covered lighting conditions. Limit brightness command not artificially plunge if disconnected from exterior power. Its contrast of as regards 550:1 is almost partly to of the Preicsion M4800, but is otherwise comparable to the ThinkPad W530 and MSI GT60. While these statisticsics would be alive distinguished on behalf of a consumer notebook, they are as regards mode on behalf of a workstation participating in this outlay range.

A border commentary on the backlight is its lingering response what time attempting to decrease or else expansion brightness. We knowledgeable this same tiny spring on the ZBook 17 and it appears to be alive a clean software hindrance across the current ZBook generation.


Distribution of brightness
Unfortunately, color area reproduction does not cover the majority of the AdobeRGB spectrum and is as an alternative closer to sRGB. This is like to the put on show of the Precision M6800, everyplace as regards 90 percent of sRGB is covered compared to < 60 percent of financial plan notebooks with cheaper panels. This possibly will be alive sufficient on behalf of individual digital graphics artists, but folks participating in need of a wider array can consider the ZBook 17 everyplace we measured coverage of as regards 93 percent of the AdobeRGB standard. Otherwise, users ought to upgrade to the DreamColor put on show on the ZBook 15 on behalf of better color reproduction.


Added put on show analyses were performed with an X-Rite i1Basic Pro spectrophotometer. The put on show command benefit from a calibration having the status of it creates a smooth talk RGB balance with a gamma closer to the 2.2 ideal having the status of defined by the sRGB standard. Color accuracy increases with increasing dispersion levels, but it is still very proficient even next to low dispersion with a DeltaE 2000 of as regards 7 units next to most evil. Teal is represented a lesser amount of accurately than other ensign.


Outside usability is safe if through sunlight can be alive avoided. The lusterless put on show helps with visibility and tumbling glare and the relatively powerful backlight minimizes washed away ensign if lone marginally. Nonetheless, it is not sharp-witted a sufficient amount to deter sunlight on behalf of extended outside viewing. Benefit from under shade next to limit brightness is recommended on behalf of a supplementary comfortable experience.

Viewing twist stability is admirable having the status of this is an IPS panel. Ensign organize not degrade next to extreme angles on behalf of a wider viewing window compared to a good number financial plan notebooks. Combined with the 180 degree crux and lusterless put on show, sharing the screen with nearby links or else coworkers ought to not be alive a hindrance.

To top
Performance

HP offers definitely three configurable Haswell CPU options: The 2.4 GHz i7-4700MQ, 2.7 GHz i7-4800MQ and 2.8 GHz i7-4900MQ. All models are high-end processors and are a quantity of of the fastest vacant of this generation. Away from the slight meter rate differences, the highest fashion adds 2 MB of L3 accumulation on behalf of a entirety of 8 MB. The models are otherwise identical participating in performance specs, together with their integrated HD 4600 GPU, while the two top models include supplementary security skin tone (i.E., vPro, VT-d and Trusted Execution) to possibly will appeal to bigger businesses. These Haswell CPUs can idle next to 800 MHz what time not under load.

RAM is provided by four DDR3 PC3-12800 SODIMM modules from Samsung on behalf of a entirety of 16 GB. Two of the modules are with no trouble user-friendly via the maintenance panel underneath, though the other two command require a smidgen supplementary tinkering with screwdrivers to access. Up to 32 GB can be alive configured.

DPC Latency regulator shows refusal latency issues even with wireless radios enthusiastic.

IBM laptop battery

Dell laptop battery     

Samsung laptop battery