2020 MateBook X Pro vs. 2018 MateBook X Pro: When the Core i7-10510U can perform worse than the old Core i7-8550U

Despite all the hoopla surrounding Huawei these past couple of years, the Chinese company still managed to launch a 2020 version of its impressive MateBook X Pro flagship laptop equipped with Intel's 10th gen Comet Lake-U processors. The system succeeds the 2018 and 2019 models with 8th gen Kaby Lake-R and 9th gen Whiskey Lake-U processors, respectively, although both the chassis design and display panel remain identical between all versions.

Processor performance, however, isn't always better on the 2020 model even when compared to the two-year old 2018 model. As shown by our CineBench R15 loop test below, the Core i7-10510U in the 2020 model starts off stronger than the Core i7-8550U in the 2018 model before falling sharply by 22 percent due to thermal throttling. As a result, the 2018 model is able to maintain faster performance for longer periods. The short-lived Turbo Boost potential on the 2020 model will benefit workloads where short bursts of extra performance can help such as when launching applications.

Fortunately, GPU performance is faster on the 2020 GeForce MX250 model when compared to the 2018 GeForce MX150 model as one would expect. The advantage, however, is very small in the single-digit percentage range on average meaning users will be hard-pressed to notice any differences in practice.

To its credit, the 2020 model can at least run on battery power for two hours longer than the 2018 model when browsing the web, but we definitely expected more from this latest iteration. See our review on the system for more details and benchmark comparisons.