HP carries on to title its sleekest and most moveable laptops just after flying bugs. The thirteen.3-inch Elite Dragonfly 2-in-one convertible lately saw an amazing G2 update, and now HP has up-to-date the fourteen-inch ZBook Firefly, which is a minor heavier but also provides far more heavyweight functionality as the “smallest and lightest” of the firm’s Z-series of cellular workstations.
In a lot of strategies, the ZBook Firefly fourteen G8 is a conventional fourteen-inch notebook, lacking the convertible structure and 4K display screen of the Dragonfly G2. Having said that, it does give real workstation-class functionality in a slim and mild structure that will charm to written content creators, architects and other expert end users.
Structure & options
This 8th-era (G8) update is essentially a ‘speed bump’ that introduces Intel’s most up-to-date (eleventh era) processors and Nvidia’s T500 GPU to the range.
The primary structure hasn’t transformed since the G7 version that we reviewed earlier this yr, measuring 323mm broad by 21.5mm deep by seventeen.9mm thick, and weighing just one.4kg. The develop quality remains amazing as well, with the Firefly’s sturdy — and recycled — aluminium casing assembly the armed service-grade MIL-STD-810H standard for resistance to heat, shock and humidity. That rugged structure could possibly be overkill for the Adobe Artistic Cloud end users that HP highlights on its web site, but it will be welcomed by architects or engineers who have to have to visit setting up sites and other outside spots.
The fourteen-inch ZBook Firefly fourteen G8 runs on eleventh-era Main i5 or i7 processors with up to 32GB of RAM and up to 1TB of SSD storage. It can use CPU-built-in Iris Xe graphics or a discrete Nvidia T500 GPU with 4GB of online video RAM. The chassis is MIL-STD-810H licensed.
Visuals: HP Inc
The keyboard feels agency and cozy as well, with a row of navigation keys on the significantly suitable, and a fingerprint sensor just under that. HP will get a minor carried away with the trackpad options, even though. As you would assume, you can suitable-click on by tapping with two fingers, but there are also remaining/suitable buttons in the reduce corners of the trackpad, as very well as two separate physical buttons over the trackpad by itself, and even a pointing adhere situated on the primary keyboard.
Like its predecessor, the Firefly G8 has two USB 3.one ports on the remaining-hand aspect, though the two USB-C ports in excess of on the suitable have been upgraded to assist Thunderbolt 4. There is an HDMI port on that aspect as well, which you will possibly have to have for an external keep an eye on, presented the Firefly’s modest built-in display screen. There is no Ethernet port, so you will have to have an adapter if you have to have a wired connection in an business.
Oddly, this G8 version of the ZBook Firefly now lacks the 4K display screen alternative that was out there with its predecessor. Our review unit experienced a non-touch IPS display screen with typical FHD (1920 x 1080, 157.3dpi) resolution, which was vivid and vibrant, thanks to its amazing one thousand nits brightness, aided by a welcome anti-glare coating for outside use. It also offers HP’s SureView privacy manner that’s designed to overcome ‘visual hacking’ (somebody hunting in excess of your shoulder) by sharply limiting the display’s viewing angles. Brain you, the viewing angles aren’t wonderful even with SureView turned off, so the Firefly could possibly not be the finest alternative for providing shows in which you do want other people today to be in a position to see the monitor.
Another oddity is that the display screen on our review unit only supported 72% of the NTSC color gamut. There are other display screen choices out there that assist touch and the sRGB and DCI-P3 color criteria for graphics and online video operate, but these all share the identical 1080p resolution. There is a separate 15.6-inch version of the Firefly that gives a 4K alternative — but, of training course, this is greater, heavier and far more pricey, which will be a disappointment for end users who are captivated to the extremely moveable structure of this fourteen-inch design.
Ideal aspect (best): electricity connector HDMI one.4b 2x USB-C/Thunderbolt 4. Still left aspect (over): headphone/microphone combo 2x USB 3.one.
Visuals: HP Inc
Selling price & choices
The pricing scenario for the ZBook Firefly G8 is a minor complicated as well, with differing technical specs and customisation choices out there in the United kingdom and US.
Pricing in the United kingdom starts off at £1,169 (ex. VAT £1,402.eighty inc. VAT) for a Firefly G8 operating Windows 10 Pro 64, with a quad-core Core i7-1165G7 processor operating at two.8GHz (up to 4.7GHz with TurboBoost). That value also incorporates 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD and discrete Nvidia T500 graphics with 4GB of committed online video memory. The 1080p display screen for that design is really modest, even though, with only 250 nits brightness and forty five% of the NTSC color gamut. Our review unit stepped up to 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD and, as pointed out, the display screen supported 72% of NTSC with one thousand nits brightness, bringing the whole value to £1,389 (ex. VAT £1,666.eighty inc. VAT).
SEE: Windows eleven: Here’s how to get Microsoft’s free of charge running method update
Consumers in the US seem to be to deal with marginally better pricing, with the entry-stage Firefly G8 costing $one,889 even though working with a far more modest Main i5 processor, 16GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD and Nvidia’s T500 GPU. Right after that, the US version of the Firefly G8 skips previous its United kingdom counterpart, opting for a marginally faster Core i7-1185G7 processor (3.0GHz, with TurboBoost to 4.8GHz) with 32GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD, costing $two,489. There are a wide range of customisation choices out there, though it remains puzzling that the many display screen choices are all minimal to just 1080p resolution.
General performance & battery lifetime
The ZBook Firefly G8’s functionality confirms its place as HP’s entry-stage cellular workstation for 2nd and technological structure operate. It has the identical Main i7 processor as the light-weight Dragonfly convertible, with the Dragonfly producing Geekbench 5 scores of 1565 for solitary-core functionality and 4330 for multi-core. The ZBook Firefly G8 springs no surprises with a solitary-core rating of one,590, but comfortably eases into the direct with a rating of 5,450 for multi-core functionality.
The built-in Iris Xe GPU of the Dragonfly was no slouch when it came to graphics, obtaining a rating of 85fps in the Cinebench R15 OpenGL graphics benchmark, and 16fps for the far more demanding Unigine Valley 3D checks. Having said that, the Firefly G8’s discrete Nvidia T500 GPU jumps suitable ahead to 165fps on the Cinebench test. Its functionality with the significant-responsibility Valley benchmark won’t strengthen really so significantly, even though, nudging only marginally ahead to 19fps. This confirms that the ZBook Firefly is finest suited to 2nd graphics and far more primary 3D operate.
The Firefly G8’s Main i7 processor does also have its very own built-in Iris Xe GPU, of training course, and this lets you to swap in between built-in and discrete graphics as essential. Applying the Iris Xe in our checks however authorized the Firefly to publish a respectable 95fps in Cinebench and 16fps in Valley, so you could use the built-in graphics for far more regimen responsibilities in buy to maintain battery lifetime.
That could possibly be required as well, as the Firefly’s battery lifetime was not amazing — in particular for a notebook with a modest FHD-resolution display screen. Applying Wi-Fi to stream online video consistently — with built-in graphics picked, and brightness at fifty% — the Firefly lasted just 7.5 hrs, which is close to a complete day’s operate, but barely superb for a modern-day notebook. We’ve witnessed opinions of Firefly designs with 250 nits shows, which recorded greater battery lifetime, so the one thousand nits of our review unit would seem to arrive at a cost, even when reduced marginally all through our battery checks.
Image: HP Inc
Conclusions
HP’s ZBook Firefly G8 is anything of a combined bag. It’s a reasonably priced entry-stage cellular workstation that gives strong functionality for written content generation, 2nd graphics and technological structure operate, wrapped up in a light-weight but sturdy structure. Having said that, the minimal display screen choices seem to be relatively shorter-sighted for these types of a impressive notebook, and the battery lifetime certainly leaves room for improvement. Qualified end users who operate outdoor all working day extended could possibly favor a notebook with far more robust battery lifetime, but the Firefly G8 will however be a good alternative for business use, performing from property, and occasional visits to off-web site spots.
Latest AND Associated Articles
HP debuts new ZBook G8 cellular workstations
HP ZBook Firefly fourteen G7 review: A compact and durable entry-stage cellular workstation
HP ZBook Build G7, fingers on: A high quality 15.6-inch notebook for electricity end users and creators
Finest notebook for graphic structure 2021: Get inventive
Finest Windows 10 notebook 2021: Top rated notebooks as opposed
Study far more opinions