HP ZBook Create G7 review
The HP HP ZBook Create G7 ranks as the #627 laptops globally, achieving a LibraScore of 68. Across all metrics, this product stands out most for its #370-ranked performance among 398 laptops. Consider the HP ZBook Fury 15 G7 or HP ZBook Fury 15 G8, which offer higher scores while staying in the same price range.
Is it Worth it?
The HP ZBook Create G7 is a powerful mobile workstation that excels in performance, display options, and audio quality. With the i7-10750H processor and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q GPU, it can handle demanding tasks like Adobe Premiere Pro and Unity with ease. However, its build quality and battery life fall short of greatness. The laptop gets extremely hot during heavy use, making it uncomfortable to work on for extended periods. Additionally, the battery life is around six hours, which is not sufficient for a full day's work. While it's worth considering for content creators, the pricing and heat issues make it a hard sell. Ultimately, it's a premium mobile workstation that requires careful consideration of its drawbacks before making a purchase decision.
Build
The HP ZBook Create G7 boasts a beautifully sculptured lightweight design with a solid slim chassis that shows minimal flex. The hinges are smooth to open and close, giving the laptop a premium feel. The build quality is top-notch, justifying the price tag. The laptop's durability and sturdy construction make it perfect for heavy usage in demanding environments such as creative workstations. Overall, the build quality of the HP ZBook Create G7 is exceptional, making it a reliable choice for content creators. For a superior build, HP ZBook Firefly 15 G7 could be the right choice.
Display
The HP ZBook Create G7's display is a highlight of the laptop. The screen options are excellent for content creators, with superb color accuracy and brightness. I particularly enjoyed the 4K touchscreen option, which provided crisp and detailed visuals. The display also features good viewing angles and a wide range of color gamut, making it suitable for graphic designers, videographers, and photographers. Overall, the display is a significant upgrade over previous ZBook models and makes the Create G7 a strong contender in the mobile workstation market. A better alternative might be HP Spectre x360 15, featuring a next-level display.
Performance
The HP ZBook Create G7 delivers potent performance with its i7-10750H processor and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q GPU. This combo provides ample power for demanding creative tasks, such as Adobe Premiere Pro and Unity. The laptop's performance is quick and efficient, making it ideal for content creators who need a reliable mobile workstation. The RTX 2070 also handles high-setting gaming well, but its heat output can be uncomfortable during heavy use. Overall, the ZBook Create G7's performance is a significant strength in this mobile workstation. You may find GIGABYTE AERO 14 OLED a better fit, thanks to its superior performance.
Battery and Charging
The battery life of the HP ZBook Create G7 is somewhat limited, falling short of an 8-hour workday with general use, lasting around 6-7 hours. However, it can quickly charge to 50% in just 30 minutes using the 200W slim smart external AC power adapter, which is a convenient feature. Despite its limitations, the laptop's battery life is still decent and sufficient for most users' needs.
Connectivity
The HP ZBook Create G7 boasts an impressive connectivity setup. It features dual Thunderbolt 3 ports, two USB-A ports, an HDMI port, and a microSD card slot. The laptop also supports Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0, ensuring seamless connections to peripherals and the internet. Additionally, it has a fingerprint reader for biometric authentication and a TPM chip for hardware encryption, adding an extra layer of security. HP Spectre x360 15 might be a smarter choice, offering an upgraded connectivity.
Features
The HP ZBook Create G7 boasts a potent performance with an i7-10750H processor and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q GPU. It features a premium built quality with a sculpted lightweight design, smooth hinges, and solid flex-free chassis. The laptop also offers awesome audio through Bang & Olufsen speakers. However, it falls short in battery life, getting warm under heavy use, and soldered RAM is an annoying limitation. For an improved features, HP ProBook 650 G8 is worth considering.
Support and Maintenance
The HP ZBook Create G7's support and maintenance features are robust. The laptop comes with a range of security tools, including biometric authentication and facial recognition. Additionally, the device has a TPM chip for hardware encryption and software-based protection against malware attacks. This provides peace of mind for content creators who need to safeguard their work. Regular updates and maintenance can be easily performed through HP's support center, ensuring smooth operation and minimizing downtime.
Pros
1. Potent performance: The i7-10750H processor has ample power for most creative tasks you throw at it.
2. Premium built quality: The Zbook has a beautifully sculptured lightweight design, solid with very little flex and reassuringly smooth hinges.
3. Aweome audio: The Bang & Olufsen-tuned four speakers sound far better than most laptops on the market.
4. Perfect for adobe apps: The Rtx 2070 Max-Q GPU is stupidly quick outside of a dedicated gaming laptop, perfect for Adobe apps during the day and some decent high-setting gaming after hours.
Cons
1. Toasty hull: The crate G7 gets very warm while downloading and installing programs underneath around the bottom vent and on the left.
2. Soldered ram: Unfortunately, the memory is soldered on so make sure you order the maximum your budget can stretch to if you need upgradable memory slots or more than the maximum of 32 gigabytes.
3. No webcam shutter: Strangely HP didn't include a mechanical webcam shutter or electronic shutter with some of their other models
4. Short battery life: Battery life is short of a full working eight hour day with general use, expect around six to seven hours
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