| uwestolt | | Administrateur | | 4 messages postés |
|  Posté le 11-05-2013 à 05:29:57   
| Review HP EliteBook Folio 9470m Ultrabook and battery life
What the compact car is to the car industry, the 14-inch class is to the mobile computer. For Lenovo the T-series devices were the ultimate business tools in this form factor (T430, T430s, T430u). The form factor seems so lucrative that Lenovo created a luxury version next to the work-horses with the ThinkPad X1 Carbon. Compatible hp HSTNN-IB0X Adapter
The immediate competitors are the Lenovo ThinkPad T430s, the T430u, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon and the Dell Latitude E6430s. These are high-priced 14-inch business devices with many ports, the claim to be a fully adequate work tool and excellent build quality. From the premium notebooks we also consider the Samsung Series 9 900X3C, the Apple MacBook Pro 13, the Dell XPS 13 (Late 2012) and the Asus Zenbook Prime UX31A. hp HSTNN-IB1E Adapter These 13.3-inch devices have fewer ports but are the benchmark when it comes to high build quality. A certain show-off factor plays a role with the latter.
After the HP business ultrabook Folio 9470m was presented months ago, it took a long time before the device was available in online shops. Windows 8 was not the problem because Windows 7 Professional is still preinstalled. A Windows 8 recovery disk comes with the device. The wait has paid off. What comes out of the simple box is, with 1640 grams, just average weight and with a measured height of 23 millimeters (with feet), not as thin as ultrabooks can be (usually 15 - 20 mm). manufactured hp HSTNN-OB0X Adapter Well-equipped thin business devices like the non ultrabook Dell Latitude E6430s (2080 g) are only rarely lighter. The X1 Carbon (1347 g) makes an exception, the ThinkPad T430u (1900 g) or the ThinkPad T430s (1790 g) are almost as heavy as conventional 14-inch devices. Only the noble 13.3-inch devices UX31A or XPS 13 (1400 g) are thinner and lighter, which comes with the form factor. hp HSTNN-OB0Y Adapter
One thing is certain: HP has transferred the materials, the quality requirements and the stability of the grown up EliteBook siblings into the thin format, the concessions are acceptable. Because of that the weight is slightly higher compared to consumer ultrabooks. The base unit is not completely torsion-free as with an aluminum unibody. By grasping the right and left sides with both hands the base can be limitedly twisted. hp HSTNN-Q61C Adapter Nevertheless the chassis reaches a very good stability level when measured against the excellent maintenance capabilities.
The bottom consists of three panels. The first one is for the removal of the battery and can be detached after pressing a slider. The other two covers can be detached after loosening a few screws. HP took great care with their anchoring. The rubberized magnesium material (grip) on the bottom snaps into stable hooks. The mechanics are very simple at the same time and even careless users will have a hard time to break anything (e.g. break off the hooks). Replacement HSTNN-Q62C Adapter 
Whether it is the keyboard, touchpad, palm rest or bottom cover, nothing is denting. The hinges (full metal but not massive) keep the lid very firm and allow opening to exactly 140 degrees. In the process the lid slides a bit underneath the bottom cover, but does not get too close to the ground. hp HSTNN-YB0X Adapter
The lid is not as torsion resistant as we are used to from the beefy EliteBooks. The aluminum surfaces can be dented; the construction can be bent limitedly at the corners. The inside of the lid has a circumferential rubber lip that lays flush with the base unit. That way the lid can be closed with some force. The Folio has no latches, a characteristic of the EliteBooks. hp MU06 adapter
A small edge at the top of the lid helps so that the opening does not get too fiddly. Noticeable with the Folio 9470m is its almost complete slight rubber coating. This soft-touch surface enables a good grip and prevents fingerprints. The side areas are not rubberized. All in all, the manufacturer offers a sturdy and high-quality 14-inch device that will survive rough business life even without a protective cover. hp MU06XL Adapter
Communication
The most expensive version of the Folio 9740m is equipped with an HSDPA modem. Our unit is only prepared with antennas and a SIM card slot. The extra charge for the 3G version is low at 50 Euros (~$67). Considering the high price of the device we would have expected the modem as a standard feature. But that is not the end: Bluetooth 3.0, Draft-N WLAN and Gigabit-Ethernet are obviously mandatory. hp MU09 Adapter The high quality Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6235 manages very good coverage: the transmission rate with a 3 meter distance is excellent (5 bars), upstairs (10 m, 5 bars) and outside the house still good (15 m, 3 bars) to sufficient (40 m, 1 bar). The transmitting power of the router (Fritz!Box 7270) is reduced to 50%.
Security
A SmartCard reader can be used for the authenticated login. hp NBP6A174 Adapter The Trusted Platform Module (TPM) enables the unique identification of the subnotebook in networks (also internet worldwide, for example the data encryption), the equipped Intel vPro-CPU allows remote maintenance. The security center consists of the protecting tools Administrator Console and Security Manager. Very detailed settings can be made with encryption, authentication or privacy. hp NBP6A175 adapter
Maintenance and Administration
Like with all EliteBooks the BIOS provides extremely extensive configuration options for single devices and the security features. For instance, the "Fan always on when AC" can be comfortably deactivated with mouse control. The extent of hardware manipulation (e.g. deactivation of Turbo Boost) is just not possible with consumer ultrabooks. hp NBP6A175B1 Adapter
Warranty
The standard warranty period is just 12 months. That seems poor for this price range. However, the concept of optional care packs for business customers is the reason for that. Depending on the needs and requirements to the reliability up to 5 years on-site service can be chosen for the highest available protection. hp WD548AA Adapter
Performance
The Intel Core i5-3427U (1.80 GHz) complements the often used i5-3317U (1.7 GHz, turbo up to 2.6 GHz) with higher clocks. Both are Low-Voltage processors (17 watts TPD) for subnotebooks. With turbo boost the 3427U can raise its clock up to 2.8 GHz (single thread if cooling is sufficient). The CPU including the HD Graphics 4000 (single channel) is complemented with 4 GB memory. [b]dell NGXCJ Adapter[/b] In case you wish to upgrade you can easily add a second 4 or 8 GB module (16 GB possible). That would also accelerate the GPU thanks to the dual channel mode (more information in the Graphics section)
A 180 GB SSD works as mass storage in the 9470m (Intel SSD 520 Series SSDSC2BW180A3L, 2.5-inch SATA). This is the highest available expansion by the manufacturer (US: 256 GB). There is an empty mSATA port that can be used for storage expansion. In the BIOS this port can be activated or deactivated so we assume its functionality. The "cheaper" 9470m version (around 1370 Euros, ~$1844) only has a 500 GB hard drive. [b]dell R8R6F RCG54 Adapter[/b]
Processor
The i5-3427U is the only available option for the EliteBook (listed in Germany, in the US also with i3/i7). HP does not offer a Core i7. When looking at the Cinebench R11.5 CPU-multi-test it becomes evident why: the Samsung Series 9 900X3C (+2%) and the Dell XPS 13 (Late 2012) (+3%) with an i7-3517U are just slightly faster. Even systems equipped with a 3317U fall behind very little (-8%), so the weighing between the two spread i5 low voltage processors seems unnecessary. [b]dell RFJMW Adapter[/b]
The situation changes with the ThinkPad T430s and Latitude E6430s, these 14-inch devices are equipped with standard voltage processors. That results in a performance advantage of up to 30% with Cinebench R11.5.
The CPU turbo (up to 2.8 GHz) works very well. The clock was at a steady 2.6 GHz during testing and is clearly in the turbo boost area. The integrated HD 4000 graphics falls back behind similar processor GPUs (-16 to -42%). The reason is the single channel memory interface. It is not caused by the clock; it is 1150 MHz when running on power and on battery. [b]dell RXJR6 TPHRG Adapter[/b] The ThinkPad T430s (single channel) and Latitude E6430s show in the OpenGL chart that the HD 4000 in a standard voltage core i5 is not necessarily much faster than in a 3xxxU processor. All Cinebench R11.5 results were the same when running on battery.
PCMark 7 and PC Mark Vantage look at the system performance in total. We test the Folio 9470m in its factory state with Windows 7, so the Windows 7 optimized Vantage works in this case. The result of 4,168 points can leave none of the compared devices behind but the EliteBook comes dangerously close to most competitors. [b]dell UJ499 Adapter[/b] Performance geeks should pay attention to the Latitude E6430s. With its Samsung SSD PM830 and dual channel memory it is considerably faster and less expensive. The ThinkPad X1 Carbon, LifeBook U772 (14-inch) and Zenbook Prime UX31A are also faster with different Solid State Drives (Micron, ADATA, SanDisk).
Storage Solution
Is the Intel SSD 520 Series (SSDSC2BW180A3L, 180 GB) causing the bad results? No, with 443 MB/s (seq. read) and 19-22 MB/s in the 4K-Read-Test it can keep up with the fastest SSD competition. We see that in the storage scores of PCMark that is shown for the competitors. [b]dell V7M6R WJ383 Adapter[/b] Except for the 900X4C-A04DE (-34%) and Apple MacBook Pro 13 (-21%) all systems are on the same level. For a purchase decision you do not have to make a sophisticated SSD comparison. However, if you still want to do that, have a look at our SSD-Benchmark list in the FAQ's. 
Gaming Performance
Gaming is not the most important task for a business notebook, especially without dedicated graphics. But it is a part of our standard procedure to test the latest games. The result is underwhelming and it does not surprise us. None of the three tested games run smoothly even on the lowest settings. [b]dell WRP9M Adapter[/b] Faster HD 4000 graphics produce only slightly more fps, with Sleeping Dogs this is actually enough for a smooth 31 fps (i5-3360M, low details). Risen 2 and Hitman are not playable even with the fastest Intel graphics. The ThinkPad T430U (GT 620M) can achieve a higher score in this regard, latest games are usually playable with medium details.
Energy Consumption
The measurements show a typical frugal ultrabook. We measure 7 to 11 Watts during idle, which is dependent on the display brightness, the energy saving mode, the WLAN and the keyboard illumination. [b]Replacement dell X57F1 Y0WYY Adapter[/b]
Under load, in this case our stress test, the Folio 9470m uses 36 Watts. Except for the ThinkPad T430u ultrabook with dedicated graphics almost all low voltage systems have a similar idle/load consumption: Lenovo ThinkPad Carbon (3-10; 39), ThinkPad T430u (7-11; 42, GT 620M), Asus Zenbook Prime UX31A (4-10; 36), Samsung Series 9 900X3C-A04DE (5-11; 38), Apple MacBook Air 13 Mid 2012 (5-10; 30). [b]dell Y40R5 Adapter[/b]
Battery Runtime
The runtimes are the great strength of the Folio 9470m, what a shame that the 14-inch device is handicapped with its dark screen. It has a removable 52 Wh lithium-ion battery. Overnight we started the idle test in which the device displays a text file with minimal brightness, deactivated wireless connections and activated energy saving mode. By the next morning the Folio was still running and only after 11:34 hours (694 minutes) did the battery die. [b]dell Y61CV Adapter[/b]
Closer to reality is the WLAN-test that refreshes a web page via script with the brightness adjusted to 150 cd/m². It also includes watching videos. Only after 7:39 hours (459 minutes) did the battery run out of power. The 14-inch competitors can't offer such long WLAN runtimes: Lenovo ThinkPad T430s (44 Wh, 180 minutes), ThinkPad T430u (47 Wh, 205), ThinkPad X1 Carbon (45 Wh, 360), Dell Latitude E6430s (65 Wh, 334), Asus Zenbook Prime UX31A (50 Wh, 282). [b]dell YJNKK Adapter[/b]
But that is not the end. With the slice battery (2nd Long Life Battery HP BA06 6-cell 5400 mAh), which is attached to the bottom of the Folio 9470m, the runtime is noticeably increased. Because the slice battery has 5400 instead of 3400 mAh (or 60 Wh instead of 52 Wh) we expect no less than twice the runtime. We could not find any dealer offers for the Long Life Battery. The price will likely be at around 200 Euros (~$268). [b]dell 0MF69 Battery Replacement [/b]
Verdict
On paper the 14-inch EliteBook Folio 9470m offers a lot of notebook for a lot of money. With the case, input devices, ports, performance and runtime HP fulfills the high expectations that come with a price of 1550 Euros (~$2083). For this money you can almost get an X1 Carbon (1740 Euros, ~$2339). The Dell Latitude E6430s with similar specs is less expensive (~1200 Euros, ~$1612), a ThinkPad T430u is less than 1050 Euros (~$1410) and the T430s costs 1500 Euros (~$2015) with similar specs. [b]dell 24DRM Adapter[/b]
The performance of the Intel 520 SSD (180 GB) and the Core i5 is without doubt very good, but it does not justify the high price. The Zenbook UX31A, Dell XPS 13 and Apple MacBook Pro 13 offer the same for less or similar money.
The EliteBook can stand out from the crowd with numerous ports: a SmartCard reader, docking port, battery-slice port and DisplayPort next to VGA are the highlights. Unfortunately the 3G-modem does not come as standard, our review sample only has the preparation (antennas, SIM card slot, mini PCI Express slot). [b]dell 312-1387 312-1390 Adapter[/b] Maintenance and replacement of components is unrivaled for ultrabooks. The battery can be removed and the empty mSATA slot can be upgraded with a second SSD. The fan can be cleaned easily. Only the bigger and heavier Latitude E6430s with Expresscard34 and eSATA can surpass this port variety.
The input devices of the EliteBook are almost perfect. Sufficient travel, strong stroke and catchy keys allow very comfortable typing. The keyboard is accompanied by the typical EliteBook Dual-Pointing Device consisting of pointer and touchpad. The flexible rubberized buttons give very good feedback. [b]dell 312-1392 Battery Replacement [/b]
After this praise the criticism is serious. While the Folio 9470m reaches very good ratings in almost all important areas (except exhaust heat), the low quality HD-display prevents a very good final rating. There is no alternative for the low standard resolution of 1366x768 pixels on the 9470m. The worst part is the reduced brightness with battery use that almost completely prevents productive work outdoors. Even on a cloudy day the display is too dark. The narrow viewing angles and pale colors of the TN panel are miles away from the IPS competition. Acer TravelMate 2355LC Adapter
The competitors are only superior if we consider the Zenbook Prime UX31A, X1 Carbon, Dell XPS 13 and Samsung 900X3. The T430u and Latitude E6430s have just slightly brighter displays; contrast and viewing angles are similarly bad. The upcoming Dell Latitude 6430u ultrabook can be equipped with an HD or HD+ display but nothing can be said about the quality yet. Acer TravelMate 2355LCi Adapter
If you are interested you should not rely on a BIOS update for increased brightness. The low luminance has tradition with the smallest EliteBooks. The last candidate was the 11.6-inch 2170p. We deduct 10% from the display rating and our impression drops down to 80%.
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