The rivalry in the business laptop category is heating up now that many businesses have made the switch to working from home. There are several possibilities on the market, and various OEMs are also introducing new varieties to the perennial favourites. HP also sells business laptops under the EliteBook and ProBook brand names.
For the past three weeks, I’ve been using the HP ProBook 635 Aero G7 as my primary work computer. This laptop has a lot of features that make me want to suggest it. Is it, however, truly worth the Rs 1,16,820 price tag? Let us have a look.
Specifications for the HP ProBook 635 Aero G7
- AMD Ryzen 7 4700U processor (2.0 GHz base clock, up to 4.1 GHz max boost clock, 8 MB L3 cache, 8 cores)
- DDR4-3200 RAM: 16 GB
- 512 GB PCIe NVMe SSD storage
- 13.3″ display “FHD IPS anti-glare panel with a brightness of 1000 nits.
Performance of the HP ProBook 635 Aero G7
The AMD Ryzen 7 4700U processor powers this laptop’s performance. AMD CPUs have improved significantly, and they are no longer lagging behind their Intel rivals.
The Ryzen 7 4700U scored a very good 4,615 on the PCMark test, which is higher than the scores of both the ThinkPad 14 and the Mi Notebook 14 Horizon Edition, both of which are powered by Intel’s 10th Gen Core i7 CPUs.
When we ran other tests for our internal scoring sheets, such as Cinebench R15, 11.5, and PCMark 8, in hardware accelerated mode, we obtained some excellent results. This laptop executed these benchmark apps flawlessly and without incident.
We performed 3DMark’s Time Spy test to measure the GPU performance and got a score of 826, which is about what we expected from this computer. It’s comparable to other laptops with Radeon RX Vega 6 graphics. In 3DMark’s Sky Diver test, the laptop scored a good 7,805 and performed as well as or better than those with a separate GPU. That’s not awful at all.
Before I go into real-world usage, I’d want to note out that the HP ProBook 635 Aero G7 remained relatively cool during our stress testing. As you can see, the laptop has a small chassis, and I was pleasantly surprised to find it just feeling somewhat warm to the touch in select parts rather than being quite hot.
The Ryzen 7 4700U CPU deserves credit for this one since it delivers fast performance without creating excessive heat. Even under full load, the fan noise was relatively low. In a working environment with background noise, you probably won’t even notice it.
In terms of day-to-day use, I had a positive experience with the laptop. For my daily job, I had no problem pushing this laptop to its limits. Of course, I don’t use many resource-intensive apps on a regular basis, but I like to test out extreme circumstances like opening 40+ tabs in Chrome while also running a picture editing app.
The laptop handled everything fairly well, which leads me to assume that you will have no problems with the performance of this machine.
I even performed some gaming on this laptop, but keep in mind that this is not a laptop designed to handle AAA titles. Even at low settings, games like The Witcher 3 and Grand Theft Auto 5 barely manage to attain passable frame rates. Trust me when I say that there are far better laptops available that can handle gaming at a lesser price.
Instead of going with more expensive storage choices, HP chose an SDD from SK Hynix. In the CrystalDiskMark test, the 512 GB PCIe NVMe SSD achieved sequential read and write speeds of 2301.58 MB/s and 1066.47 MB/s, respectively. This performs similarly to the HP Pavilion Laptop 13, which is enough for a corporate notebook.
Display on the HP ProBook 635 Aero G7
In terms of display, the HP ProBook 635 Aero G7 has a 13.3-inch display “The -inch IPS panel proved to be a disappointment. On paper, it seems to be a solid panel.
It has a 1920 x 1080 resolution, an anti-glare coating, a brightness of up to 1000 nits, 72 percent NTSC coverage, and HP’s Sure View privacy screen. However, after using the laptop for a time, I rapidly became aware of various faults with it.
To begin, I utilised the Portrait Displays C6 HDR2000 colorimeter to perform a complete examination of the display. Although HP claims that the laptop has a maximum brightness of 1000 nits, I was only able to test a peak brightness of 792.7 cd/m2.
That’s still better than many computers out there, but when I tried using the laptop outside, it didn’t do anything for me.
I was having trouble using my laptop outside, even when the sky was cloudy. However, I believe this is due to the display quality itself. In my second feature piece, I discussed the display quality in depth, highlighting some of the flaws with this privacy screen.
The HP Sure View technology featured in this laptop provides a built-in privacy screen that can be activated with the press of a button.
The privacy screen itself works as described, although you lose some horizontal viewing angle as a result. To view everything clearly, you must adjust the display angle just perfect. In fact, I wouldn’t be shocked if it’s a TN panel. The viewing angle is a major issue, which is surprising given that this laptop has an IPS display.
It’s a shame that I couldn’t completely appreciate the display due to the privacy screen function. It’s a nice feature to have, but I found it a nuisance because I had to continually adjusting the display to view everything correctly.
I received some fairly nice findings with the Calman colorimeter when I dug further into the display’s specifications. The contrast ratio of the panel is comparable to that of the majority of alternatives in this price range. I also obtained an average Correlated Color Temperature, or CCT, of 6478, indicating that the colour temperature is on the cold side.
Color reproduction is also quite good right out of the box. The low DeltaE values of 1.2 and 2.1 on Greyscale and ColorChecker analysis demonstrate this. The display also covered 105 percent of the sRGB colour spectrum and 69 percent of the DCI-P3 colour space.
When it comes to colours, I noticed some tiny discoloration in darker tones of some colours, such as Green and Blue. They appear paler because the colours in the Luminance Sweeps test have a high degree of parity in DeltaC and DeltaH values.
This indicates that, with the exception of some deeper hues of Green and Blue, the display will be able to replicate the bulk of the colours correctly. When it came to skin tones, I observed no problems because all of the tints were well within the margin of error. Overall, this is an excellent display for both day-to-day work and content consumption.
But, as I previously stated, it was difficult to appreciate the show knowing that I might have challenges with viewing angles. I had to continually change the angle of the display to ensure that none of the text or graphics on the screen seemed distorted or fuzzy.
However, HP’s Sure View technology works really well, filtering 75% of visible light beyond the privacy sector, so no complaints there, and I am sure you will enjoy that.
Battery Life on the HP ProBook 635 Aero G7
A decent corporate laptop should be able to last at least a day without needing to be charged. Being able to rely on battery power for day-to-day tasks makes recommending a laptop that much easier. The HP ProBook 635 Aero G7, on the other hand, offers a fantastic battery life. It comes with a 3-cell 53 Wh Li-ion battery and a 65W EM External AC power adapter for charging.
The HP ProBook 635 Aero G7 lasted 10 hours and 49 minutes in PCMark 10’s Modern Office battery life test. On PCMark’s battery test at maximum brightness, that’s 649 minutes.
In case you didn’t know, this exam assesses performance with a realistic mix of day-to-day tasks such as writing, web surfing, video conferencing, and more. It outperforms several other laptops in its class, including the ASUS ZenBook Duo, which has a bigger 70WHrs battery, and the Lenovo IdeaPad S540, which has the same battery capacity. Examine the graph below –
In terms of real-world performance, the HP ProBook 635 Aero G7 lasted a little more than 8 hours for me on a typical workday.
On a typical workday, I use the laptop to write stories for the website, research information on the internet, watch videos on YouTube and Twitch, and listen to music largely through Bluetooth headphones. That should give you a good indication of how much battery life you may expect.
I tracked my battery consumption over several days of the week and obtained a comparable battery backup of roughly 8 hours. This was at maximum brightness, so you could probably get a few more hours out of it by lowering the brightness by a notch or two.
However, I will not propose doing so due to the display concerns I described previously in the display section, which make it difficult to view things properly as it is. Even without such, the 8-hour battery backup is plenty in my opinion.
Laptop Keyboard, Trackpad, and I/O for the HP ProBook 635 Aero G7
When you lift the lid, you’ll see a full-size backlit keyboard with two-stage illumination. The keys are black, and the illumination illuminates both the surrounds and the labelling. These keys are flat, which implies they lack a conical shape. That didn’t bother me because the keys had good key travel.
I had a lot of fun typing on this laptop’s keyboard. Despite coming from a clicky mechanical keyboard, it’s one of those quiet and comfy keyboards that you instantly appreciate.
Keyboard deck for HP ProBook 635 Aero G7
Prior to this, I had HP’s Pavilion Laptop 13, which had a less pleasing keyboard with squishy keys. So typing on this was unquestionably more pleasurable. HP claims the keys are spill-resistant, but I wasn’t able to put that to the test, so you’ll have to take their word for it.
When it comes to the touchpad, it is, once again, somewhat modest. Given the size of the laptop, this is understandable. It benefits from the fact that there are no specialised touchpad buttons. The glass surface is also superior to plastic.
The mechanics of the ClickPad have a sharp, high-quality pressure point in my opinion. All of the Windows motions operate flawlessly, owing to Microsoft’s Precision touchpad driver.
The HP ProBook 635 Aero G7 IO is a laptop with an Intel Core i7 processor.
In terms of connection, I’d say the HP ProBook 635 Aero G7 is adequate, as is common for business laptops. Unlike previous business laptops, HP has relocated the air vents to the rear of the hinge, making more area for connectors.
On the left, there are two USB Type-A connectors and one SuperSpeed USB Type-C port with a signalling rate of 10Gbps on the right. This connection also functions as a DisplayPort and enables USB Power Delivery.
In addition, you get a headphone/microphone combination connector, an HDMI port, and a charging port for your AC barrel adaptor.
Design and Build Quality of the HP ProBook 635 Aero G7
HP ProBook 635 Aero G7 is a laptop with an aerodynamic design.
The HP ProBook 635 Aero G7 laptop is comprised of recyclable aluminium and magnesium, giving it strength. This laptop appears to be able to withstand the shocks and jolts that business computers may experience when being transported.
It’s important to note that this is not one of those lightweight laptops, such as the Apple MacBook Air or the ASUS ExpertBook B9450, which ASUS says is the lightest 14-inch business laptop available.
The ProBook has a very simple design that looks fantastic. It clearly appears to be more current than some of the older corporate laptops you may have used in the past. When it comes to style, I find a lot of parallels between this and the HP Pavilion Laptop 13.
It’s a good thing HP is pushing for slim designs, and this one is a slender computer that’s ideal for a meeting room. The laptop’s lid opens all the way to 180 degrees, and I appreciate that you can operate it with only one hand.
The laptop’s base is rigid, but I wouldn’t call it torsion-resistant. The same is true for the lid, which is likewise composed of aluminium. It is not torsion-resistant, yet mild pressure on the rear causes no changes in the screen’s images. The palm rest is likewise solid, with an angular edge that won’t irritate your arms even after a long time of relaxation.
The stereo speakers on the left and right sides of the keyboard are also visible. Its location naturally elevates it above many computers with bottom or side-firing speakers. The speakers have a relatively loud output, which means they can easily fill a medium-sized room.
They have a good range of high frequencies but lack bass. Even at maximum volume, the sound from the speakers does not distort. They appeared to be well-tuned, although I would still need headphones for media viewing.
A pair of microphones can be seen on top of the display, adjacent to the 720p webcam. They’re OK for video conferencing, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to use them instead of headphones. There’s no mention of noise cancellation, and the sound registration is a touch bland.
Overall, I’d say the HP ProBook 635 Aero G7 is a really well-made laptop. I’ve always liked HP’s design language, especially on their newest laptops, and I’m delighted to see that their business notebooks are receiving a sturdy chassis and a modern look as well.
Verdict
The AMD-powered HP ProBook 635 Aero G7 is a fantastic business laptop with a slew of impressive features. With its fast speed, the Ryzen 7 4700U breezes through day-to-day productivity activities while still providing excellent battery backup. It’s a terrific laptop that I wholeheartedly recommend. Having stated that, I must express my negative experience with the display.
The display is not in any way useless, but it isn’t one of its many qualities. Aside from that, there’s a lot to appreciate about the HP ProBook 635 Aero G7 for business executives, and it handles it all with ease.
To make it more appealing, HP has included a host of enterprise and privacy features, such as the HP Sure View privacy screen. So, if you don’t need an ultra-premium computer for your tasks, the HP ProBook 635 Aero G7 is a solid choice.
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