HUAWEI MateBook 13 Ultrabook Review (Topic)

The laptop in question is made of metal. It is light, thin, and has a powerful filling. There are many such devices now, but still this one differs from analogues. The HUAWEI MateBook 13 has an AMD processor and graphics. We will tell you how this fact influenced the capabilities of the device.

Configuration and specifications

AMD has regained its place in the notebook hardware market. The consumers of these products primarily benefited from this. Prices are falling, the number of configurations is growing. The dull monotony of devices that existed before is now brightened up by models with Ryzen.

The heart of the hardware stuffing of the HUAWEI MateBook 13 ultrabook is the AMD Ryzen 5 3500U processor with Vega 8 graphics. It has 4 cores, 8 threads, and an operating frequency of 2.1 GHz. If necessary, it can be overclocked to 3.7 GHz. True, it will not work constantly in this mode due to the increasing heat generation.

There is a proven algorithm for performing complex tasks: the chipset quickly performs it by increasing the frequency to the maximum, then reducing it and waiting for the coolers to do their job.

In this he is actively helped by 16 GB of DDR4 RAM. Built-in NVMe PCIE 3.0 ? 4 storage capacity is 512GB.

The MateBook 13 is equipped with a 13-inch IPS display. Its refresh rate is standard 60 Hz, resolution 2160 ? 1440 pixels.

The device has two USB 3.2 ports, an audio jack, and one microphone input. There are wireless interfaces here: Wi-Fi Intel 802.11ac (2x2), Bluetooth 5.0.

The battery capacity is 41.8 Wh, and there is a 65W USB Type-C Power Delivery adapter for charging. The Ultrabook measures 38.6 x 21.1 x 1.5 cm and weighs 1.3 kg.

Quality finishes

The device received a time-tested design and good peripherals. It is virtually indistinguishable from the devices that came with the i5 two years ago.

The manufacturer did not allow any changes in the approach to the assembly of the product. Everything is the same, as before, made soundly and reliably. There are no extra gaps or burrs anywhere. At the same time, everything you need is here, and it's in its place.

Custom screen, keyboard and touchpad

The MateBook 13 has a custom aspect ratio of 3: 2. This format is optimal for work. It allows you to place a lot of text on the display, for example, it is easy to place two A4 documents side by side. The fonts, thanks to the high resolution, are smooth here, and Gorilla Glass with an oleophobic layer eliminates the "crystal effect". The picture is high-contrast and high-quality, and the eyes do not get tired (brightness 300 nits) while working with content.

The keyboard should be noted separately. It is comfortable, devoid of ridiculous combinations and combinations. The power button is located in the upper right corner. For convenience, a fingerprint sensor is built into it.

The disadvantages include only the different heights of the arrow buttons. But this is a tribute to the trend that is widespread now. Everything is done to please the beautiful design, not the comfort of the user.

The Ultrabook has a large touchpad. He understands multi-touch gestures, practically does not differ from the touch panels of competitors. Everything functions clearly here, the cursor moves precisely. Only the click sound is not solid. There is a feeling of laxity and fuzziness. There is a feeling that this part of the device belongs to a less famous company.

Audio Features

MateBook 13 received the usual audio components. Music files are played without wheezing and excessive voicing. There are no peculiarities either. The small amount of low end is especially depressing, but this is due to the thin body.

The volume reserve of the device is solid, you can watch movies at a distance of up to 1.5 m. The developers managed to create a balanced acoustic scheme that produces optimal sound.

Autonomy

Experts and users were very interested in the issue of autonomy. After all, AMD-based devices used to be gluttonous in terms of power consumption.

Despite the transition to a 7nm configuration, this problem has not gone away. When using the device in the mode of simple document editing, watching videos, working in social networks and messengers, the autonomy of the MateBook 13 is just over five hours, with a 75 percent display brightness.

If you play only video content, then this time will increase to seven hours. The indicator is not very large, but decent.

Performance

Thanks to the Ryzen 5 3500U processor, the gadget received good performance. It allows you to easily cope with routine issues and solve more complex problems.

When tested in synthetic benchmarks, the model is a worthy competitor to colleagues from the i5 series. The situation changes depending on the ambient temperature and the laptop's cooling system.

A high level of graphics is provided by the Radeon Vega 8 chip. It is in no way inferior to competitors from NVIDIA GeForce MX 150/250. The presence of 2 GB of its own memory allows not only to speed up graphics, but also speeds up AI-computing. This is especially important when using the device in gameplay.

Summary

The HUAWEI MateBook 13 Ultrabook turned out to be light, productive, autonomous for the Chinese. It has an easy-to-use display and is more powerful than typical Intel models.

Undoubted advantages of the device is its versatility at an adequate price. It's hard to find something with similar characteristics for this money. Competitors will have a hard time.

The Topic of Article: HUAWEI MateBook 13 Ultrabook Review.
Author: Jake Pinkman