HP ZBook 15 and ZBook 17 G6 dual review: Two workstations that bring muscle, durability, and DreamColor display
Source: Windows Cardinal
HP's lineup of powerhouse laptops has now entered its sixth generation with the ZBook 15 G6 and ZBook 17 G6. There are a number of improvements to what HP calls the earth'south best-selling mobile workstation, just the fact that these evangelize above-boilerplate performance for specialized work has non changed. They're rather large, heavy, and expensive, merely the features offered are worth the tradeoff for those that need them. Let's take a look at the ZBook 15 and ZBook 17 to come across what they're all about in this dual review.
Powerful Mobile Workstations
HP ZBook 15 G6 & ZBook 17 G6
Bottom line: HP's refreshed ZBook 15 and ZBook 17 are undeniably powerful, expensive laptops packed with features for professionals. They're not easy to tote around due to weight and size, but those who need the performance will gladly trade portability.
Pros
- Toolless entry for easy upgrades
- Incredibly powerful hardware options
- Loud, full pinnacle-firing audio
- Stunning DreamColor 4K displays
- Durable aluminum construction
Cons
- Very thick and heavy
- Battery life (understandably) suffers
- Extremely expensive
HP ZBook xv and ZBook 17 G6 at a glance
Source: Windows Central
HP supplied Windows Key with review units for the fifteen- and 17-inch ZBooks, now in their sixth generation. The 15-inch model is equipped with an Intel Xeon processor (CPU), 64GB of RAM in four sticks of 16GB, a 1TB M.2 PCIe NVMe solid-country drive (SSD), 4K DreamColor display, and NVIDIA Quadro RTX 3000 graphics card (GPU). It costs well-nigh $4,830 later on some hefty discounts when configured this way.
The more expensive 17-inch model I'm reviewing is equipped with the aforementioned Intel Xeon CPU, 64GB of RAM split up over four 16GB sticks, a 1TB PCIe NVMe SSD, 4K DreamColor display, and NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000 GPU. Altogether it costs most $ten,393 before discounts, which bring the price down to well-nigh $6,444. It's articulate simply from the toll these are not laptops for the average user. They're built for engineers, architects, editors, developers, and designers who don't want to sacrifice desktop performance when going mobile.
Hither's a breakdown of the hardware in each of our review models. Every bit y'all can meet, in that location are a lot of similarities in one case you go by the physical size.
| Category | ZBook xv | ZBook 17 |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows 10 Pro | Windows 10 Pro |
| Processor | Intel Xeon E-2286M vPro Upwardly to 5.0GHz | Intel Xeon E-2286M vPro Upwardly to 5.0GHz |
| RAM | 64GB DDR4-2667MHz (4x16GB) | 64GB DDR4-2667MHz (4x16GB) |
| Graphics | NVIDIA Quadro RTX 3000 6GB VRAM | NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000 16GB VRAM |
| Storage | 1TB PCIe NVMe SSD | 1TB PCIe NVMe SSD |
| Brandish | 15.half dozen inches 3840x2160 (UHD) Non-bear on, matte, 600 nits HP DreamColor | 17.iii inches 3840x2160 (UHD) Not-impact, matte, 400 nits HP DreamColor |
| Ports | Two Thunderbolt 3 HDMI 2.0 3 USB-A iii.0 RJ-45 Ethernet 3.5mm audio Smart Card reader (optional) SD carte du jour reader | Ii Thunderbolt 3 HDMI 2.0 Mini DisplayPort i.four Iii USB-A 3.0 RJ-45 Ethernet 3.5mm audio Smart Card reader (optional) SD card reader |
| Optical drive | No | Yes |
| Sound | Bang & Olufsen Top-firing speakers Three microphones | Bang & Olufsen Height-firing speakers 3 microphones |
| Wireless | Intel AX200 (Wi-Fi 6) 802.11ax Bluetooth 5.0 NFC | Intel AX200 (Wi-Fi half dozen) 802.11ax Bluetooth v.0 NFC |
| Photographic camera | Front end-facing 1080p | Front-facing 1080p |
| Security | Fingerprint reader IR camera TPM 2.0 Webcam shutter HP Certain Beginning Privacy brandish (optional) | Fingerprint reader IR photographic camera TPM 2.0 Webcam shutter HP Sure Start |
| Battery | 90Wh 150W AC adapter | 95.6Wh 200W AC Adapter |
| Dimensions | 14.8 x 10.iv x 1.0 inches (376mm ten 264mm x 26mm) | xvi.4 x xi.3 ten 1.three inches (416mm x 288.4mm ten 33.8mm) |
| Weight | From 5.79 pounds (2.60kg) | From 7 pounds (3.2kg) |
Design and features
The ZBook 15 and ZBook 17 are thick. At that place's no style around it. The smaller model, though in line with other workstations of its form like the ThinkPad P53, is notwithstanding not most people's idea of mobile. Its starting weight of 5.79 pounds (ii.60kg) is going to be felt in a haversack. The 17-inch model starts at well-nigh 7 pounds (iii.2kg) and is truly an intimidating figure sitting open on a desk. But the oversized dimensions are forgiven once nosotros dig into performance and features.
Looking back at the G5 models, not a lot has changed physically for the G6 update. Dimensions are most the aforementioned for the aluminum chassis, you still go a ton of ports, and the keyboard and touchpad are laid out the same. HP has, however, upped the number of MIL-STD 810G durability tests from 14 to 21. The laptops are going to theoretically better withstand drops and solar radiations (similar if you go out your laptop in your car on a hot day). Holding these devices, it'due south difficult to imagine them taking significant harm. Equally an added bonus, the chassis doesn't pick up nearly as many fingerprints as a ThinkPad.
Connectivity is aplenty in both laptops, but the ZBook 17 brings a few actress options. On top of the ZBook 15's two Thunderbolt 3, HDMI 2.0, three USB-A three.0, Ethernet, 3.5mm audio, SD card reader, and optional Smart Bill of fare reader, the ZBook 17 brings an optical drive and Mini DisplayPort 1.4. You tin can connect something like HP's Thunderbolt Dock G2 to either laptop for extra ports. Everything is well positioned for the most part; I only wish the ZBook 17 had USB-A on the right side to handle any external mice. My hand hit the release on the optical bulldoze a few times while carrying the laptop around, but it's something that can exist avoided once yous know where it'south located.
Keyboard, cameras, and audio
Source: Windows Fundamental
Keyboard and touchpad on the ZBook 15 and ZBook 17 are the exact same, though the larger model has more space around the sides because of the overall larger chassis. You lot have vi rows of backlit chiclet keys (and number pad) that have plenty of travel and ample spacing. Coming from a ThinkPad, I adopt Lenovo'south keyboard for the slightly cupped keys and soft feel, just HP isn't far behind and is certainly cut out for long days of typing. The merely complaint I accept is that the up and downwardly arrow keys are bunched upwardly and the top-correct Delete, Dwelling, End, and Pg keys are rather small and out of the manner.
The sizable Precision touchpad is bordered by two sets of physical buttons, one for the touchpad itself and one for the nub pointer that's located between M, H, and B keyboard keys. The touchpad doesn't really click down so it's either a tap or a physical push.
Both laptops come configured with a front-facing 1080p webcam and IR camera for facial recognition through Windows Hello, and both have privacy shutters to hands cake out the view. This shutter was standard on not-affect models in the by, but it's now moved up to handle touch models as well. The IR photographic camera worked as it should for quick logins, and is backed upward by a fingerprint reader embedded into the right-paw palmrest. The standard 1080p webcam delivers a crisp picture that's bang-up for stills and video conferencing.
Audio from the ZBook is loud and clear. These are not your boilerplate Ultrabook speakers.
The ZBooks still accept dual microphones to better pick up your vocalism while conferencing, and a third earth-facing mic with racket cancellation is intended to cut out chatter from the surrounding world. HP besides included defended collaboration keys on the keyboard so you can chop-chop pick up, mute, and adjust call volume when talking with colleagues.
Speakers got a workover for the G6 ZBooks, and the outcome is impressive. They're located on both laptops to a higher place the keyboard for top-firing orientation that'southward not muffled. A discrete amp chip on the speakers helps audio become overly loud, upward to about 74dB, and there's no noticeable baloney at high levels. These are not your boilerplate Ultrabook speakers.
Rounding out some of the professional features is optional LTE connectivity. Neither review model includes the necessary network card, but at that place is a clear space for it within. If you lot need to stay continued at all times, even outside of Wi-Fi zones, it'll be well worth the extra bit of money. These laptops are also compatible with Wi-Fi 6 for extremely fast wireless speeds.
Display
Source: Windows Central
The ZBook fifteen and ZBook 17 review units I received both take a 4K (UHD) DreamColor brandish that is designed for video work. They come calibrated from the manufacturing plant and are tuned the same for a uniform end-audition feel. Both not-touch displays take a matte finish to cutting downwardly on glare, and both use an IPS console for wide viewing angles.
HP'due south DreamColor 4K screens are a step above other professional person displays I've tested.
Picture show from both is incredible cheers to a billion colors and perfect contrast. The 15-inch model hits about 600 nits brightness while the 17-inch model tops out at about 400 nits. In either case, screens were bright enough to be seen conspicuously in a well-lit room. Adaptive brightness handles most adjustments accurately for a amend user experience. Thanks to DreamColor Assistant software there are a number of colour presets to cull from, including DCI-P3, AdobeRGB, sRGB, DICOM, and BT.709.
The pocket-size photographic camera-like sensor in the corner of the touchpad had me scratching my caput until I realized it's a congenital-in color scale tool. You lot can set what colour gamut you're working in, shut the lid of the laptop, and allow it calibrate itself. That'southward an awesome feature, especially for those who can't merely calibrate for one gamut and go out it exist.
Professionals who require accurate color reproduction should take no bug with the DreamColor display, but there are other options if it's not quite what you're looking for. There are more options available for the ZBook 15 — as depression as FHD with 250 nits brightness — but the ZBook 17 likewise has some budget options. For actress privacy, the fifteen-inch ZBook has an optional Certain View terminate that blocks the view of anyone who'south not looking directly at the brandish.
Functioning and battery life
Source: Windows Central
The ZBook lineup is all about delivering loftier performance hardware, and in that sense the G6 models succeed. While there are lower-stop configurations bachelor for both sizes (down to a 9th Gen Intel Core i5-9300H CPU), the real beauty lies in the specialized options. Due to size and cooling constraints, the ZBook 15 has upward to a NVIDIA Quadro RTX 3000 GPU with 6GB of VRAM, while the ZBook 17 has up to a NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000 GPU with a whopping 16GB of VRAM.
Coupled with Intel Xeon E-2286M vPro CPUs with eight cores, up to 128GB of RAM spread out over four modules, and upwardly to 10TB of storage (15-inch model tops out at 6TB), yous should accept no issues getting the correct amount of power for the chore at paw. Independent Software Vendor (ISV) certifications are included for popular pattern and evolution programs, ensuring the laptop is compatible.
Source: Windows Central
Removing the bottom cover of either laptop is simple thanks to toolless entry. Slide a switch over to release the bottom panel, remove the cover, and you have instant access to RAM, SSD, and battery. Information technology's non hot-swappable, but you can quickly pull information technology out and replace it without any tools. If you don't want to buy storage and RAM straight from HP, yous tin easily upgrade later.
Dual fans in each laptop proceed internals at a suitable temperature. Fifty-fifty under sustained load while benchmarking the ZBook 17 was surprisingly quiet and didn't endure from whatsoever significant throttling. The ZBook 15'due south fans seemed to piece of work a bit harder, no dubiety due to the smaller chassis, merely fan volume even so wasn't egregious.
I ran some benchmarks on both the ZBook fifteen and ZBook 17 to come across how they stack up against each other as well as some other laptops we've recently reviewed.
CPU
Geekbench 5.0 Benchmarks (Higher is amend)
| Device | CPU | Single core | Multi core |
|---|---|---|---|
| HP ZBook 15 G6 | Xeon E-2286M | i,279 | 7,686 |
| HP ZBook 17 G6 | Xeon E-2286M | 1,263 | 7,595 |
| Lenovo ThinkPad P53 | Xeon E-2276M | 1,237 | 6,152 |
| Lenovo ThinkPad P1 (Gen 2) | i7-9850H | 1,233 | v,216 |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme (Gen 2) | i7-9850H | one,160 | 4,168 |
| Dynabook Portégé X30-F | i7-8665U | 1,236 | 3,473 |
| Dynabook Tecra X50-F | i7-8665U | 1,241 | 3,043 |
| Dell Inspiron xiii 7390 two-in-ane | i7-8565U | 1,111 | 2,965 |
| Surface Laptop 3 xiii.5 | Core i5-1035G7 | i,177 | 4,413 |
| Dell XPS xiii 2-in-1 7390 | Core i7-1065G7 | 1,209 | 3,571 |
| Surface Laptop iii 15 | Ryzen 5 | 769 | 2,720 |
| Dell XPS 15 7590 | Core i9-9980HK | 1,176 | vii,624 |
The Xeon E-2286M's viii cores deliver impressive multi-core scores in Geekbench 5. No issues hither with heavy multitasking.
PCMark
PCMark 10
| Device | Score |
|---|---|
| HP ZBook 15 G6 | half dozen,146 |
| HP ZBook 17 G6 | half dozen,405 |
| Lenovo ThinkPad P53 | five,668 |
| Lenovo ThinkPad P1 (Gen ii) | 4,969 |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme (Gen 2) | iv,915 |
| Dynabook Portégé X30-F | 3,881 |
| Dynabook Tecra X50-F | iv,128 |
| Dell Inspiron xiii 7390 2-in-ane | 3,764 |
| Surface Laptop 3 xv (AMD) | 4,006 |
| Dell XPS 15 7590 | 5,521 |
| Dell Precision 3541 | 3,906 |
The PCMark 10 benchmark tests how well a PC'south hardware together handles everyday work. Again it's clear these high-end configurations won't have much effect going up against a heavy workload.
3DMark
Time Spy
| Device | GPU | Score |
|---|---|---|
| HP ZBook 15 G6 | Quadro RTX 3000 | 5,619 |
| HP ZBook 17 G6 | Quadro RTX 5000 | seven,803 |
| Lenovo ThinkPad P53 | Quadro RTX 5000 | 6,760 |
| Lenovo ThinkPad P1 (Gen two) | Quadro T2000 | ii,956 |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme (Gen 2) | GTX 1650 Max-Q | 3,190 |
| Lenovo Legion Y740 15 | RTX 2070 Max-Q | six,406 |
| Lenovo Legion Y740 17 | RTX 2080 Max-Q | 7,128 |
3DMark
Fire Strike
| Device | GPU | Score |
|---|---|---|
| HP ZBook 15 G6 | Quadro RTX 3000 | 12,305 |
| HP ZBook 17 G6 | Quadro RTX 5000 | 16,775 |
| Lenovo ThinkPad P53 | Quadro RTX 5000 | xvi,367 |
| Lenovo ThinkPad P1 (Gen 2) | Quadro T2000 | half dozen,632 |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme (Gen two) | GTX 1650 Max-Q | seven,198 |
| Dell XPS xv (7590) | GTX 1650 Max-Q | vii,763 |
| Lenovo Legion Y740 15 | RTX 2070 Max-Q | xiv,669 |
| Lenovo Legion Y740 17 | RTX 2080 Max-Q | 16,303 |
| Razer Bract 15 | GTX 1070 | 13,560 |
NVIDIA'southward specialized Quadro RTX GPUs are accented powerhouses designed to work with high-end professional software.
Cinebench
Cinebench (R20) (College is amend)
| Device | CPU | Range |
|---|---|---|
| HP ZBook 15 G6 | Xeon E-2286M | three,480 to 3,525 |
| HP ZBook 17 G6 | Xeon East-2286M | 3,346 to 3,447 |
| Lenovo ThinkPad P53 | Xeon E-2276M | 2,686 to 2,701 |
| Lenovo ThinkPad P1 (Gen ii) | Core i7-9850H | ane,783 to 2,201 |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme (Gen 2) | Core i7-9850H | 1,730 to 2,495 |
| Dynabook Portégé X30-F | Cadre i7-8665U | i,242 to i,313 |
| Surface Laptop 3 xiii.5 | Core i5-1035G4 | ane,584 to 1,606 |
| Surface Laptop 3 15 | Core i7-1065G7 | 1,703 to ane,745 |
Running the Cinebench R20 test multiple times in a row is a good indicator of whether or not a laptop will throttle under sustained load. It's clear that cooling is working as intended in both laptops … and check out how high those scores are compared to the ThinkPad P53.
SSD
CrystalDiskMark (Higher is ameliorate)
| Device | Read | Write |
|---|---|---|
| HP ZBook 15 G6 | 3,295.twenty MB/s | 3,041.99 MB/due south |
| HP ZBook 17 G6 | three,430.fourscore MB/s | 2,829.46 MB/s |
| Lenovo ThinkPad P53 | 3,567.23 MB/southward | 2,813.25 MB/s |
| Lenovo ThinkPad P1 (Gen 2) | 3,508 MB/s | 3,010 MB/s |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme (Gen two) | 3,416 MB/s | 3,016 MB/s |
| Dynabook Portégé X30-F | 529 MB/s | 348 MB/s |
| Dynabook Tecra X50-F | 3,400 MB/s | i,952 MB/southward |
| Lenovo ThinkPad P52 | 3,120 MB/s | 1,551.five MB/s |
| Dell XPS xv 7590 | iii,000 MB/s | two,796 MB/s |
| MSI PS63 Mod | 3,300 MB/south | ane,875 MB/due south |
The M.two PCIe NVMe SSDs included are extremely fast. I also tested with PCMark'southward Storage exam and got back a score of 1,657 in the ZBook 17 and 2,471 in the ZBook xv.
Both laptops have HP Fast Accuse to deliver near one-half battery life in 45 minutes. An added bonus is that the AC adapters are considerably smaller than a lot of competing workstations. If you are frequently toting these laptops on your back, any reduction in weight is a boon. And you will want to take your Ac adapter with you everywhere, as these laptops suck up ability speedily.
PCMark'due south gaming battery test, which measures bombardment life with the system under relatively heavy load, measured just an hour and 15 minutes. Going nigh normal work, y'all should wait between 5 and six hours of life from a charge. Note that I tested rather high-end models with 4K displays, and less-powerful configurations with FHD brandish will have far better battery life.
Unfortunately, I couldn't run the aforementioned test on the ZBook 15 due to a bombardment result; the laptop wouldn't run without the Air conditioning adapter. It might make y'all question durability but it's just something that happens and is covered by warranty if back up options don't solve the problem.
Should you lot buy HP'due south ZBook 15 or ZBook 17?
Source: Windows Central
It's clear after using these laptops why HP'due south ZBook lineup is and then popular in the professional world. You get a whack of HP Certain security options (like Sure Start BIOS monitor and Sure Sense antivirus), you lot get the ability needed to handle specialized tasks, and you lot get a bunch of display options, including the brilliant DreamColor 4K screens I tested. The laptops are thick and heavy, only they're durable and seemingly have the right amount of cooling to prevent thermal throttling.
Toolless entry on the bottom panel is an ingenious addition, the elevation-firing speakers are excellent, and you become plenty of ports for connecting your peripherals, including something like HP'south Reverb VR headset. I don't quite like the keyboard equally much as I do on a ThinkPad, but it's still going to make typing comfortable.
Answering the "Should you buy?" question ultimately comes down to whether or not you need the functioning and features and tin can beget the steep price tag. Want upward to a NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000 GPU and larger brandish that makes collaboration much easier? Get with the ZBook 17, though keep in heed it's much better suited to life on a desk than in a backpack due to its size and weight.
Can yous get by with up to a NVIDIA Quadro RTX 3000 GPU and smaller 15-inch display? The ZBook 15 is probable a better (and more affordable) option, plus it's much easier to acquit around. Information technology won't have a Mini DisplayPort or an optical bulldoze, but it does a much more convincing chore of acting as a portable laptop.
15-Inch Mobile Workstation
HP ZBook xv G6
More portable, less powerful
Want to keep price and weight down while still getting impressive workstation performance? The HP ZBook fifteen G6 is likely a better choice for you lot.
17-Inch Mobile Workstation
HP ZBook 17 G6
More powerful, less portable
Looking for ultimate performance and an enormous display? The HP ZBook 17 G6 will satisfy, but watch out for price and weight.
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UH OH
An internet connection will shortly exist required when setting up Windows 11 Pro
Microsoft has announced that later this year, users will be required to connect to the cyberspace and sign-in with a Microsoft Business relationship during the out of box setup feel on Windows eleven Pro. Microsoft has already been enforcing this requirement on Windows 11 Home since launch last October, and Windows 11 Pro is now expected to follow adapt soon.
Source: https://www.windowscentral.com/hp-zbook-15-zbook-17-g6-review
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