The HP ProBook 4720s is a new 17-inch laptop aimed at the consumer SMB segment. Replacing the outdated 4710s, this model has a new Intel Core i3 and i5 processor with an ATI Radeon 4350 graphics card. Well, let's see how this laptop performs in the tests and if it is worth the money spent on it.
HP ProBook 4720s specifications:
- 17 '' HD + LED backlit display (1600x900)
- operating system Windows 7 Professional (64-bit)
- Intel Core i5 430M processor (2.26GHz, 3MB cache)
- ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4350 video card with 512MB of video memory
- RAM - 4GB DDR3
- Hard drive - 500GB 7200 rpm Seagate
- Wi-Fi - Atheros AR9285 802.11b / g / n, Bluetooth
- Optical Drive - DVD SuperMulti (+/- Double Layer) with Labelflash function
- Battery - 8-cell lithium-ion battery (73Wh)
Construction and design
The 4720s has a stylish look with design elements featuring brushed metal surfaces. The brushed metal is visible both in the display lid and in the wrist rests inside the laptop. Dark copper or bronze effectively complements any business accessory and looks very professional. Inside the laptop, you can see both brushed metal and glossy black plastic (around the keyboard). Both types of coatings are good for everyday use, including light scratches and fingerprints.
The build quality is very good; metal elements add strength to the screen cover and prevent unnecessary bending of the structure. Even with considerable effort and pressure on the display lid, there was no distortion on the screen, so the screen is reliably protected. Compared to the old design, which was made entirely of plastic, the new design not only looks better, but also makes the case solid. So on the outside, the ProBook 4720s is impressive.
The ProBook 4720s was not built with the expectation that the upgrade would be done by the user, as its target segment is small and medium-sized businesses. The average user may not like the fact that in order to get to the RAM or hard drive, you must completely remove the bottom cover.
Display and speakers
The ProBook 4720s is equipped with a 17.3-inch anti-glare display with an aspect ratio of 16: 9. With a resolution of 1600 x 900 pixels, this high-resolution display looks great with vibrant colors and high contrast. Some users are reluctant to switch from 16:10 displays to 16: 9 displays as that means lower vertical resolution, but considering that most 17-inch laptops in this price range were previously 1440 x 900 pixels, and now 1600 x 900, we can say that the user gets even more screen space.
Color saturation was slightly above average when compared to similar sized notebook screens, but due to the dullness of the screen, it lost a little contrast and color if the screen was glossy. Viewing angles were also slightly better than the average models, colors looked good even when the screen was tilted 15-20 degrees forward or backward. The brightness of the display was great for bright office lighting, and given the matte finish of the screen, it can also be used in sunlight.
The ProBook 4720s speakers, as for a 17-inch laptop, weren't very impressive. Most laptops of this size take advantage of the extra space to accommodate quality speakers or even subwoofers. Comparing the test laptop with the main competitors, we can conclude that the speakers are “below average”. They will be enough for listening to music from the Internet, video call or VOIP conference, but do not expect hi-fi sound from them. Headphones will be the best solution for watching movies on the go.
Keyboard and touchpad
The full-size keyboard has the same design as the 4510s and offers fantastic finger-space when typing, which is especially important for a business laptop where data is frequently entered. Each key is relatively flat, covered in a relatively pleasant matte texture. The bezel surrounding the keyboard is quite rigid thanks to the case design, which additionally gives support to the keyboard. The only place where flex is possible is in the numeric keypad on the right. But perhaps HP will fix this shortcoming soon.
The keys are pressed quietly, without a noisy "click" while typing. The depth of keystroke is excellent, the keys are made in the chicklet style. In general, the keyboard layout is very good for a 17 "laptop.
HP has updated the touchpad on the 4720s compared to the previous 4710s, and the laptop now includes a buttonless clickpad from Synaptics. The main difference is that the new touchpad has a larger surface for gestures, and a smoother look since there are no more buttons. It will take some time to get used to this touchpad. Therefore, some people turn off the multi-touch gesture function, so often the laptop interprets them differently than the user would like. A similar touchpad is also found on the Dell Inspiron 11z, which also lacks buttons. So disabling the multi-touch gesture feature will fix the problem.
Overall, the touchpad is very responsive and easy to use (apart from the aforementioned drawbacks, of course). Multi-touch gestures were recognized well, and the touchpad feedback was also good. If the touchpad did not have the aforementioned shortcomings with the lack of buttons, it could be called one of the best touchpads.
Ports and other equipment
The HP ProBook includes three USB 2.0 ports, one eSATA / USB combo port, VGA and HDMI out, Ethernet, and even a modem. Expansion slot includes SDHC card reader and ExpressCard / 34 slot. The laptop also has a DVD burner.
Front: SDHC card reader slot, audio out and microphone in
Back View: Empty
Left side: Kensington lock, VGA out, LAN, HDMI out, eSATA / USB combo port, 1 USB 2.0 port.
Left side: 2 USB 2.0 ports, modem, optical drive, power connector
Performance
The system performance turned out to be quite good for a business laptop, of course thanks to an Intel Core i5 processor and an ATI Mobility Radeon 4350 graphics card. For average business needs, this system should be more than enough. Also, for playing 720P and 1080P movies, the system performance is sufficient. HD Flash YouTube videos also played without problems. Users who want to mainly use a laptop for games should look for a laptop with a more productive video card, since the Radeon 4350 video card will give the opportunity to play games 2-3 years old with good settings or modern games with low settings.
Wprime CPU performance score (the lower the score, the higher the performance):
PCMark05 measures the overall system performance (the higher the score, the better the performance):
3DMark06 measures performance in games (the higher the score, the better the performance):
CrystalDiskMark measures hard drive performance:
Heat dissipation and noise
The large 17-inch case dissipates heat very well, but there is one hot spot on the surface on the bottom surface. There was practically no noise from operation while the laptop was at rest. As the load increases during the tests, you can notice the increasing sound of the fan, but this noise can be described as something between a "quiet" and "loud" whisper.
Standalone operation
Last time, the 4710s' battery was unimpressive with just over 3 hours and 3 minutes. This time, taking into account the fact that the laptop has a new Intel processor and the battery has a large capacity, the operating time has increased. During the test, the laptop screen brightness was set at 70%, Wi-Fi was on, the web page was refreshed every 60 seconds, the 4720s laptop lasted 4 hours and 48 minutes.
Conclusion
The HP ProBook 4720s is a worthy replacement for the outdated 4710s. Performance has increased markedly thanks to the new Intel Core i5 processor (the predecessor was Core 2 Duo), and the new ATI Radeon 4350 graphics card, which is slightly faster than the previous 4330. The two main changes are the metal cover of the laptop top cover and the increased battery life. Compared to the old plastic display cover, the new metal cover reduces flex and thus protects the display. Battery life is another nice change - from three and a half hours in the previous model, it has grown to 4 hours and 48 minutes. The ATI Radeon 4350 video card is certainly not a sprinter in the world of video cards, but nevertheless, no integrated solution can compare with it. If you're looking for a 17-inch business laptop, the HP ProBook 4720s is well worth your consideration.
Benefits:
Very good battery life
Good performance compared to the previous 4710s
Better build quality than the previous generation
Disadvantages:
The complexity of the upgrade
The presence of a "hot" spot on the underside of the laptop
