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HP ProBook 430 G2 Notebook Review

Broadwell upgrade. Despite running a strong Core i5 processor, the small ProBook offers good battery life. Sadly, the screen is once again the weak point of an HP model.

For the original German review, see here.

The ProBook 470 G2 and ProBook 450 G2 series got their Intel Broadwell CPU update recently. Now the ProBook 430 series gets some attention. Little has changed, besides the CPU, from the Haswell model of the ProBook 430 G2. In our review, we will check if the new processor can deliver on its promised improvements.

A little while ago, we tested the Acer TravelMate P236-M, which is a competitor of the ProBook. Furthermore, the Dell Latitude 3340 and the Asus ASUSPRO Essential PU301LA can also be counted as part of the competition.

As the models are nigh identical to one another, we will not discuss the case, the input devices, the display or the speakers, as we have already provided detailed evaluations for these areas in the review of the Haswell sibling.

Display

Both of the ProBook 430 G2 models we tested use the same panels. We measure different values in each notebook, which is not surprising, as two "identical" panels are never 100% the same.

162
cd/m²
167
cd/m²
167
cd/m²
170
cd/m²
176
cd/m²
169
cd/m²
186
cd/m²
170
cd/m²
176
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
Samsung tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 186 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 171.4 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 87 %
Center on Battery: 177 cd/m²
Contrast: 176:1 (Black: 1 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 13.62 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 14.51 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
33.8% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
36.48% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
53.2% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
35.31% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.8
HP ProBook 430 G2 L3Q21EA
TN 1366x768
HP Probook 430 G2
TN 1366x768
Acer TravelMate P236-M-57R4
TN 1366x768
HP ProBook 430-G1
TN 1366x768
Asus ZenBook UX305FA-FB003H
IPS 3200x1800
Dell Latitude 13 3340 Education Series
TN 1366x768
Asus ASUSPRO Essential PU301LA-RO064G
TN 1366x768
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
TN 1920x1080
Fujitsu Lifebook E544
TN 1600x900
Lenovo ThinkPad L440 20AT004QGE
TN 1600x900
Display
-1%
17%
11%
62%
25%
19%
22%
15%
13%
Display P3 Coverage
35.31
34.79
-1%
41.26
17%
39.15
11%
58.2
65%
43.98
25%
42.06
19%
43.23
22%
40.58
15%
40.23
14%
sRGB Coverage
53.2
52.4
-2%
62.1
17%
58.5
10%
83.3
57%
65.9
24%
62.8
18%
64.8
22%
60.6
14%
59.6
12%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
36.48
35.95
-1%
42.64
17%
40.52
11%
60.1
65%
45.47
25%
43.5
19%
44.7
23%
42
15%
41.68
14%
Screen
-3%
13%
16%
69%
21%
11%
42%
36%
18%
Brightness middle
176
175
-1%
188
7%
228
30%
310
76%
232
32%
247
40%
230
31%
252
43%
259
47%
Brightness
171
172
1%
187
9%
202
18%
309
81%
211
23%
235
37%
220
29%
255
49%
233
36%
Brightness Distribution
87
88
1%
78
-10%
72
-17%
90
3%
85
-2%
87
0%
91
5%
67
-23%
81
-7%
Black Level *
1
1.22
-22%
0.777
22%
1.029
-3%
0.75
25%
0.94
6%
1.37
-37%
0.56
44%
0.696
30%
1.3
-30%
Contrast
176
143
-19%
242
38%
222
26%
413
135%
247
40%
180
2%
411
134%
362
106%
199
13%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
13.62
12.1
11%
12.21
10%
9.81
28%
2.49
82%
10.35
24%
12.04
12%
8.4
38%
9.1
33%
11.83
13%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
14.51
13.66
6%
13.1
10%
9.94
31%
1.89
87%
11.79
19%
11.75
19%
9.95
31%
9.44
35%
6.24
57%
Gamma
2.8 79%
2.11 104%
2.66 83%
2.33 94%
2.36 93%
2.38 92%
2.87 77%
2.19 100%
2.56 86%
2.3 96%
CCT
18849 34%
14498 45%
17666 37%
11631 56%
6573 99%
14957 43%
13613 48%
10109 64%
10890 60%
5429 120%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
33.8
33.3
-1%
39.4
17%
37.5
11%
54
60%
42
24%
40
18%
41
21%
38.6
14%
40
18%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
83.1
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-2% / -3%
15% / 14%
14% / 14%
66% / 67%
23% / 22%
15% / 13%
32% / 36%
26% / 30%
16% / 17%

* ... smaller is better

CalMAN - ColorChecker
CalMAN - ColorChecker
CalMAN - Gray levels
CalMAN - Gray levels
CalMAN - Saturation
CalMAN - Saturation

Performance

The ProBook 430 G2 is a 13.3-inch notebook for the entry-level business users, which means its potential buyers will be private or professional users. Our test model is available for around 800 Euros (~$843). However, there are far cheaper models available (below 500 Euros, ~$527) which have the Haswell Core i3 processors. We find the ProBook 430 G2 G6W32EA (Core i5-4210U, 500 GB HDD, 4 GB RAM) to be especially interesting, due to its UMTS modem. The price is around 590 Euros (~$622).

Processor

The Intel Core i5-5200U (Broadwell) dual-core CPU works at 2.2 GHz. Turbo allows the processor to boost its speed up to 2.5 GHz (both cores) and 2.7 GHz (single core). The processor can only use Turbo when plugged in. On battery, the laptop runs at 2.2 GHz. A few weeks ago we tested the Haswell model of the ProBook 430, which is equipped with the predecessor of the Core i5-5200U: the Core i5-4210U. The Broadwell processor runs at higher speeds and benefits from the improvements made in the Broadwell architecture. Thanks to these changes, the test model performs 5 to 15% better in our benchmarks.

Cinebench R10 Shading 32Bit
5241
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
8691
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit
4111
Cinebench R11.5 OpenGL 64Bit
17.52 fps
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 64Bit
2.83 Points
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Single 64Bit
1.25 Points
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
98 %
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
23.91 fps
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
260 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
109 Points
Help
Cinebench R15
CPU Multi 64Bit (sort by value)
HP ProBook 430 G2 L3Q21EA
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM851 128 GB MZ7TE128HMGR
260 Points
HP Probook 430 G2
HD Graphics 4400, 4210U, Samsung SSD 840 PRO MZ7PD128HCFV-000H1
240 Points -8%
Acer TravelMate P236-M-57R4
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
257 Points -1%
Asus ZenBook UX305FA-FB003H
HD Graphics 5300, 5Y10, SanDisk SD7SN3Q256G1002
155 Points -40%
Dell Latitude 13 3340 Education Series
HD Graphics 4400, 4200U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
229 Points -12%
Asus ASUSPRO Essential PU301LA-RO064G
HD Graphics 4400, 4500U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
272 Points +5%
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
194 Points -25%
Fujitsu Lifebook E544
HD Graphics 4600, 4210M, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
304 Points +17%
Lenovo ThinkPad L440 20AT004QGE
HD Graphics 4600, 4300M, Intel SSD 520 Series SSDSC2BW180A3L
313 Points +20%
CPU Single 64Bit (sort by value)
HP ProBook 430 G2 L3Q21EA
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM851 128 GB MZ7TE128HMGR
109 Points
HP Probook 430 G2
HD Graphics 4400, 4210U, Samsung SSD 840 PRO MZ7PD128HCFV-000H1
106 Points -3%
Acer TravelMate P236-M-57R4
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
107 Points -2%
Asus ZenBook UX305FA-FB003H
HD Graphics 5300, 5Y10, SanDisk SD7SN3Q256G1002
82 Points -25%
Dell Latitude 13 3340 Education Series
HD Graphics 4400, 4200U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
100 Points -8%
Asus ASUSPRO Essential PU301LA-RO064G
HD Graphics 4400, 4500U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
114 Points +5%
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
77 Points -29%
Fujitsu Lifebook E544
HD Graphics 4600, 4210M, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
121 Points +11%
Lenovo ThinkPad L440 20AT004QGE
HD Graphics 4600, 4300M, Intel SSD 520 Series SSDSC2BW180A3L
126 Points +16%
Cinebench R11.5
CPU Multi 64Bit (sort by value)
HP ProBook 430 G2 L3Q21EA
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM851 128 GB MZ7TE128HMGR
2.83 Points
HP Probook 430 G2
HD Graphics 4400, 4210U, Samsung SSD 840 PRO MZ7PD128HCFV-000H1
2.59 Points -8%
Acer TravelMate P236-M-57R4
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
2.51 Points -11%
HP ProBook 430-G1
HD Graphics 4400, 4200U, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E380
2.5 Points -12%
Asus ZenBook UX305FA-FB003H
HD Graphics 5300, 5Y10, SanDisk SD7SN3Q256G1002
1.74 Points -39%
Dell Latitude 13 3340 Education Series
HD Graphics 4400, 4200U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
2.52 Points -11%
Asus ASUSPRO Essential PU301LA-RO064G
HD Graphics 4400, 4500U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
2.95 Points +4%
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
2.16 Points -24%
Fujitsu Lifebook E544
HD Graphics 4600, 4210M, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
3.35 Points +18%
CPU Single 64Bit (sort by value)
HP ProBook 430 G2 L3Q21EA
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM851 128 GB MZ7TE128HMGR
1.25 Points
HP Probook 430 G2
HD Graphics 4400, 4210U, Samsung SSD 840 PRO MZ7PD128HCFV-000H1
1.19 Points -5%
Acer TravelMate P236-M-57R4
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
1.21 Points -3%
Asus ZenBook UX305FA-FB003H
HD Graphics 5300, 5Y10, SanDisk SD7SN3Q256G1002
0.95 Points -24%
Dell Latitude 13 3340 Education Series
HD Graphics 4400, 4200U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
1.04 Points -17%
Asus ASUSPRO Essential PU301LA-RO064G
HD Graphics 4400, 4500U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
1.3 Points +4%
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
0.89 Points -29%
Fujitsu Lifebook E544
HD Graphics 4600, 4210M, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
1.39 Points +11%
Cinebench R10
Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit (sort by value)
HP ProBook 430 G2 L3Q21EA
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM851 128 GB MZ7TE128HMGR
8691 Points
HP Probook 430 G2
HD Graphics 4400, 4210U, Samsung SSD 840 PRO MZ7PD128HCFV-000H1
6978 Points -20%
HP ProBook 430-G1
HD Graphics 4400, 4200U, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E380
7796 Points -10%
Asus ZenBook UX305FA-FB003H
HD Graphics 5300, 5Y10, SanDisk SD7SN3Q256G1002
5404 Points -38%
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
6393 Points -26%
Fujitsu Lifebook E544
HD Graphics 4600, 4210M, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
10144 Points +17%
Lenovo ThinkPad L440 20AT004QGE
HD Graphics 4600, 4300M, Intel SSD 520 Series SSDSC2BW180A3L
10709 Points +23%
Rendering Single 32Bit (sort by value)
HP ProBook 430 G2 L3Q21EA
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM851 128 GB MZ7TE128HMGR
4111 Points
HP Probook 430 G2
HD Graphics 4400, 4210U, Samsung SSD 840 PRO MZ7PD128HCFV-000H1
3956 Points -4%
HP ProBook 430-G1
HD Graphics 4400, 4200U, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E380
3795 Points -8%
Asus ZenBook UX305FA-FB003H
HD Graphics 5300, 5Y10, SanDisk SD7SN3Q256G1002
3100 Points -25%
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
2974 Points -28%
Fujitsu Lifebook E544
HD Graphics 4600, 4210M, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
4585 Points +12%
Lenovo ThinkPad L440 20AT004QGE
HD Graphics 4600, 4300M, Intel SSD 520 Series SSDSC2BW180A3L
4726 Points +15%
Geekbench 3
32 Bit Single-Core Score (sort by value)
HP ProBook 430 G2 L3Q21EA
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM851 128 GB MZ7TE128HMGR
2454 Points
HP Probook 430 G2
HD Graphics 4400, 4210U, Samsung SSD 840 PRO MZ7PD128HCFV-000H1
2391 Points -3%
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
1865 Points -24%
32 Bit Multi-Core Score (sort by value)
HP ProBook 430 G2 L3Q21EA
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM851 128 GB MZ7TE128HMGR
4953 Points
HP Probook 430 G2
HD Graphics 4400, 4210U, Samsung SSD 840 PRO MZ7PD128HCFV-000H1
4653 Points -6%
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
3949 Points -20%
Sunspider - 1.0 Total Score (sort by value)
HP ProBook 430 G2 L3Q21EA
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM851 128 GB MZ7TE128HMGR
123.8 ms *
HP Probook 430 G2
HD Graphics 4400, 4210U, Samsung SSD 840 PRO MZ7PD128HCFV-000H1
118.7 ms * +4%
Asus ZenBook UX305FA-FB003H
HD Graphics 5300, 5Y10, SanDisk SD7SN3Q256G1002
157 ms * -27%
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
168.1 ms * -36%
Fujitsu Lifebook E544
HD Graphics 4600, 4210M, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
164.7 ms * -33%
Lenovo ThinkPad L440 20AT004QGE
HD Graphics 4600, 4300M, Intel SSD 520 Series SSDSC2BW180A3L
87.1 ms * +30%
Octane V2 - Total Score (sort by value)
HP ProBook 430 G2 L3Q21EA
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM851 128 GB MZ7TE128HMGR
13248 Points
HP Probook 430 G2
HD Graphics 4400, 4210U, Samsung SSD 840 PRO MZ7PD128HCFV-000H1
12186 Points -8%
Asus ZenBook UX305FA-FB003H
HD Graphics 5300, 5Y10, SanDisk SD7SN3Q256G1002
9344 Points -29%
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
9363 Points -29%
Fujitsu Lifebook E544
HD Graphics 4600, 4210M, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
26941 Points +103%
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total (sort by value)
HP ProBook 430 G2 L3Q21EA
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM851 128 GB MZ7TE128HMGR
2522 ms *
HP Probook 430 G2
HD Graphics 4400, 4210U, Samsung SSD 840 PRO MZ7PD128HCFV-000H1
2614 ms * -4%
Asus ZenBook UX305FA-FB003H
HD Graphics 5300, 5Y10, SanDisk SD7SN3Q256G1002
3324 ms * -32%
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
3428 ms * -36%
Fujitsu Lifebook E544
HD Graphics 4600, 4210M, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
1320 ms * +48%
Lenovo ThinkPad L440 20AT004QGE
HD Graphics 4600, 4300M, Intel SSD 520 Series SSDSC2BW180A3L
2233 ms * +11%
Peacekeeper - --- (sort by value)
HP ProBook 430 G2 L3Q21EA
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM851 128 GB MZ7TE128HMGR
2396 Points
HP Probook 430 G2
HD Graphics 4400, 4210U, Samsung SSD 840 PRO MZ7PD128HCFV-000H1
2413 Points +1%
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
1917 Points -20%

* ... smaller is better

System Performance

The test model produces great results in the PCMark benchmarks. The gap between the Haswell model, which we tested a few weeks back, and the test model is surprisingly large. This is thanks to the Broadwell architecture, higher CPU speeds and stronger GPU. The laptop runs smoothly.

PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
2986 points
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2
3122 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
4135 points
Help
PCMark 8 - Home Score Accelerated v2 (sort by value)
HP ProBook 430 G2 L3Q21EA
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM851 128 GB MZ7TE128HMGR
2986 Points
HP Probook 430 G2
HD Graphics 4400, 4210U, Samsung SSD 840 PRO MZ7PD128HCFV-000H1
2391 Points -20%
Asus ZenBook UX305FA-FB003H
HD Graphics 5300, 5Y10, SanDisk SD7SN3Q256G1002
2037 Points -32%
Dell Latitude 13 3340 Education Series
HD Graphics 4400, 4200U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
1981 Points -34%
Asus ASUSPRO Essential PU301LA-RO064G
HD Graphics 4400, 4500U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
2111 Points -29%
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
2172 Points -27%
Fujitsu Lifebook E544
HD Graphics 4600, 4210M, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
2521 Points -16%
Lenovo ThinkPad L440 20AT004QGE
HD Graphics 4600, 4300M, Intel SSD 520 Series SSDSC2BW180A3L
2590 Points -13%

Storage Devices

A Samsung Solid State Drive serves as the storage device for the HP ProBook. This 2.5-inch device can be easily swapped out for a model with more capacity. The SSD offers good read speeds but it does not have the best write speeds. If you remove the maintenance flap on the bottom of the laptop, you will find an empty M.2 slot. This means that we can install an SSD in the M.2 slot and replace the SSD of our test model with an HDD. In the review of the ProBook 450 G2, we describe how the user can copy the Windows installation easily from the 2.5-inch SSD to the M.2 SSD.

Samsung SSD PM851 128 GB MZ7TE128HMGR
Sequential Read: 524 MB/s
Sequential Write: 140.5 MB/s
512K Read: 448.9 MB/s
512K Write: 138.8 MB/s
4K Read: 29.27 MB/s
4K Write: 116.1 MB/s
4K QD32 Read: 371.3 MB/s
4K QD32 Write: 133.9 MB/s

Graphics Card

The notebook uses the Core i5-5200U processor which includes Intel's HD Graphics 5500 IGP. The IGP supports DirectX 11.2 and runs at up to 900 MHz. The results of the 3DMark benchmarks are normal. These results can be boosted by installing an appropriate RAM module in the empty slot, thus allowing the laptop to run in dual-channel mode. This will allow the GPU to optimally use the memory and increase its performance.

3DMark 11 Performance
941 points
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score
37800 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
4388 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
544 points
Help
3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance (sort by value)
HP ProBook 430 G2 L3Q21EA
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM851 128 GB MZ7TE128HMGR
941 Points
HP Probook 430 G2
HD Graphics 4400, 4210U, Samsung SSD 840 PRO MZ7PD128HCFV-000H1
781 Points -17%
Acer TravelMate P236-M-57R4
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
1014 Points +8%
HP ProBook 430-G1
HD Graphics 4400, 4200U, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E380
784 Points -17%
Asus ZenBook UX305FA-FB003H
HD Graphics 5300, 5Y10, SanDisk SD7SN3Q256G1002
686 Points -27%
Dell Latitude 13 3340 Education Series
HD Graphics 4400, 4200U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
774 Points -18%
Asus ASUSPRO Essential PU301LA-RO064G
HD Graphics 4400, 4500U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
843 Points -10%
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
929 Points -1%
Fujitsu Lifebook E544
HD Graphics 4600, 4210M, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
838 Points -11%
Lenovo ThinkPad L440 20AT004QGE
HD Graphics 4600, 4300M, Intel SSD 520 Series SSDSC2BW180A3L
853 Points -9%
3DMark
1280x720 Ice Storm Standard Score (sort by value)
HP ProBook 430 G2 L3Q21EA
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM851 128 GB MZ7TE128HMGR
37800 Points
HP Probook 430 G2
HD Graphics 4400, 4210U, Samsung SSD 840 PRO MZ7PD128HCFV-000H1
36498 Points -3%
Acer TravelMate P236-M-57R4
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
41862 Points +11%
HP ProBook 430-G1
HD Graphics 4400, 4200U, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E380
33312 Points -12%
Asus ZenBook UX305FA-FB003H
HD Graphics 5300, 5Y10, SanDisk SD7SN3Q256G1002
27325 Points -28%
Dell Latitude 13 3340 Education Series
HD Graphics 4400, 4200U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
35351 Points -6%
Asus ASUSPRO Essential PU301LA-RO064G
HD Graphics 4400, 4500U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
39918 Points +6%
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
33266 Points -12%
Fujitsu Lifebook E544
HD Graphics 4600, 4210M, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
34337 Points -9%
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Score (sort by value)
HP ProBook 430 G2 L3Q21EA
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM851 128 GB MZ7TE128HMGR
4388 Points
HP Probook 430 G2
HD Graphics 4400, 4210U, Samsung SSD 840 PRO MZ7PD128HCFV-000H1
3928 Points -10%
Acer TravelMate P236-M-57R4
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
4560 Points +4%
HP ProBook 430-G1
HD Graphics 4400, 4200U, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E380
3937 Points -10%
Asus ZenBook UX305FA-FB003H
HD Graphics 5300, 5Y10, SanDisk SD7SN3Q256G1002
2958 Points -33%
Dell Latitude 13 3340 Education Series
HD Graphics 4400, 4200U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
3828 Points -13%
Asus ASUSPRO Essential PU301LA-RO064G
HD Graphics 4400, 4500U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
4335 Points -1%
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
3722 Points -15%
Fujitsu Lifebook E544
HD Graphics 4600, 4210M, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
4396 Points 0%
Lenovo ThinkPad L440 20AT004QGE
HD Graphics 4600, 4300M, Intel SSD 520 Series SSDSC2BW180A3L
4325 Points -1%
1280x720 Sky Diver Score (sort by value)
HP Probook 430 G2
HD Graphics 4400, 4210U, Samsung SSD 840 PRO MZ7PD128HCFV-000H1
2260 Points
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
2816 Points
1920x1080 Fire Strike Score (sort by value)
HP ProBook 430 G2 L3Q21EA
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM851 128 GB MZ7TE128HMGR
544 Points
HP Probook 430 G2
HD Graphics 4400, 4210U, Samsung SSD 840 PRO MZ7PD128HCFV-000H1
484 Points -11%
HP ProBook 430-G1
HD Graphics 4400, 4200U, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E380
550 Points +1%
Asus ZenBook UX305FA-FB003H
HD Graphics 5300, 5Y10, SanDisk SD7SN3Q256G1002
407 Points -25%
Dell Latitude 13 3340 Education Series
HD Graphics 4400, 4200U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
502 Points -8%
Asus ASUSPRO Essential PU301LA-RO064G
HD Graphics 4400, 4500U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
527 Points -3%
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
572 Points +5%

Gaming Performance

The ProBook was not built for gaming. It is possible to run a few games at low resolutions and quality settings. However, games like Assassin's Creed Unity or Evolve will not run. As reported before, the second RAM module would probably allow the graphics performance to be boosted, which would result in a higher frame rate for games. The increase can be between 5 to 40% - depending on the game.

low med. high ultra
Tomb Raider (2013) 39.7 20.8 13.6

Emissions & Energy Management

System Noise

The ProBook is relatively quiet. While idle, the fan is often off. At load, the emissions stay within reasonable limits. During our stress test (Prime95 and Furmark run for at least an hour), we measured 37.1 dB, which is acceptable. All-in-all, the emissions are on the same level as those of the Haswell sibling model. There is a difference: the fan of the Haswell model emitted a slight whistling noise, whereas the fan of the Broadwell model does not.

Noise Level

Idle
29.2 / 29.2 / 31.6 dB(A)
Load
36 / 37.1 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   Voltcraft sl-451 (15 cm distance)

Temperature

The ProBook in the stress test.
The ProBook in the stress test.

The stress test (Prime95 and Furmark run together for at least an hour) runs the same way on the ProBook whether it is on battery or plugged in: in the start, the CPU runs at 2.5 GHz. The GPU works at full speed (900 MHz). The throttling kicks in afterwards and drops the speeds down to 1.4 - 1.6 GHz (CPU) and 750 - 800 MHz (IGP). The speeds stay at these levels for the rest of the test. The ProBook does not heat up too much: we noted two spots on the case which reached 40 °C during the stress test. As such, the temperatures are on the same level as those of the Haswell sibling model.

Max. Load
 39.1 °C
102 F
26.3 °C
79 F
23.8 °C
75 F
 
 37.9 °C
100 F
33.6 °C
92 F
23.4 °C
74 F
 
 31.2 °C
88 F
33.9 °C
93 F
24.6 °C
76 F
 
Maximum: 39.1 °C = 102 F
Average: 30.4 °C = 87 F
23.3 °C
74 F
25.8 °C
78 F
43.4 °C
110 F
23.1 °C
74 F
34.7 °C
94 F
46.2 °C
115 F
25.2 °C
77 F
33.4 °C
92 F
33.7 °C
93 F
Maximum: 46.2 °C = 115 F
Average: 32.1 °C = 90 F
Power Supply (max.)  43.6 °C = 110 F | Room Temperature 20 °C = 68 F | Fluke 62 Max
(+) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 30.4 °C / 87 F, compared to the average of 29.5 °C / 85 F for the devices in the class Office.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 39.1 °C / 102 F, compared to the average of 34.2 °C / 94 F, ranging from 21.2 to 62.5 °C for the class Office.
(-) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 46.2 °C / 115 F, compared to the average of 36.7 °C / 98 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 26.8 °C / 80 F, compared to the device average of 29.5 °C / 85 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are reaching skin temperature as a maximum (33.9 °C / 93 F) and are therefore not hot.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 27.7 °C / 81.9 F (-6.2 °C / -11.1 F).

Power Consumption

While idle, the ProBook has a max consumption of up to 5 W (great). The Haswell sibling model (up to 6.9 W) consumes more. At load, the Haswell model has an advantage, but only for a few seconds. CPUs and GPUs of both ProBooks throttle after a little while and require about the same amount of power.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0 / 0.1 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 2.7 / 4.4 / 5 Watt
Load midlight 25.4 / 37.6 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Extech Power Analyzer
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.

Battery Life

In the practical WLAN test, different websites are loaded every 40 seconds. The "Power Saver" profile is on and the brightness is set to around 150 cd/m². The ProBook runs for around 6:05 h, which is 30 minutes more than the Haswell sibling model (5:32 h).

Battery Runtime
WiFi Surfing
6h 05min
Battery Runtime - WiFi (sort by value)
HP ProBook 430 G2 L3Q21EA
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM851 128 GB MZ7TE128HMGR
365 min
HP ProBook 430-G1
HD Graphics 4400, 4200U, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E380
257 min
Fujitsu Lifebook E544
HD Graphics 4600, 4210M, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
262 min
Lenovo ThinkPad L440 20AT004QGE
HD Graphics 4600, 4300M, Intel SSD 520 Series SSDSC2BW180A3L
292 min
Asus ASUSPRO Essential PU301LA-RO064G
HD Graphics 4400, 4500U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
317 min
HP Probook 430 G2
HD Graphics 4400, 4210U, Samsung SSD 840 PRO MZ7PD128HCFV-000H1
332 min
Acer TravelMate P236-M-57R4
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
359 min
Asus ZenBook UX305FA-FB003H
HD Graphics 5300, 5Y10, SanDisk SD7SN3Q256G1002
408 min
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
428 min
Dell Latitude 13 3340 Education Series
HD Graphics 4400, 4200U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
871 min

Verdict

The two ProBook 430 G2 models we tested heat up moderately and run quietly. Furthermore, both offer good input devices and fast SSDs. The ProBooks also have a free M.2 slot which can be equipped with an SSD. Sadly, both share the same panel which has very poor brightness and contrast. The bad panel is reason enough not to buy the ProBooks. This covers all the similarities of the two models.

The ProBook 430 G2 has the same build as its sibling model, which means that any differences, positive or negative, will be due to the switch from the Haswell to the Broadwell architecture. The Broadwell ProBook has more performance to offer than its Haswell sibling. While idle, our test model consumes less power than the Haswell model, which results in a longer runtime for the Broadwell ProBook in the practical WLAN test.

However, the Broadwell ProBook 430 suffers from the same flaw as the ProBook 470 G2 and the ProBook 450 G2: the ProBook 430 is too expensive at 800 Euros (~$843). A similar Haswell model, like the ProBook 430 G2 G6W23EA (Core i5-4210U, 128 GB SSD, 4 GB RAM, Windows 8.1 Pro) costs around 200 Euros (~$210) less. Furthermore, HP guarantees the ProBook 430 for one year. Even if the price was 500 Euros (~$527), one year would be too little.

Pricecompare

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In review: HP ProBook 430 G2 L3Q21EA. Test model provided by HP Deutschland.
In review: HP ProBook 430 G2 L3Q21EA. Test model provided by HP Deutschland.

Specifications

HP ProBook 430 G2 L3Q21EA (ZBook 14u G6 Series)
Processor
Intel Core i5-5200U 2 x 2.2 - 2.7 GHz, Broadwell
Graphics adapter
Intel HD Graphics 5500, Core: 900 MHz, Single-Channel, 10.18.10.3995
Memory
4 GB 
, DDR3, Single-Channel, two RAM slots (one occupied)
Display
13.30 inch 16:9, 1366 x 768 pixel, Samsung, TN LED, glossy: no
Mainboard
Intel Broadwell-U PCH-LP (Premium)
Storage
Samsung SSD PM851 128 GB MZ7TE128HMGR, 128 GB 
, 70 GB free
Soundcard
Realtek ALC282 @ Intel Broadwell PCH-LP - High Definition Audio Controller
Connections
1 USB 2.0, 2 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 VGA, 1 HDMI, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: Audio combo jack, Card Reader: SD, 1 Fingerprint Reader
Networking
Realtek RTL8168/8111 Gigabit-LAN (10/100/1000MBit/s), Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3160 (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.0
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 21 x 326 x 233.5 ( = 0.83 x 12.83 x 9.19 in)
Battery
44 Wh Lithium-Ion, 14.8 V, 2550 mAh
Operating System
Windows 8.1 Professional (64 Bit) + Windows 7 Professional (64 Bit)
Camera
Webcam: HD webcam
Additional features
Speakers: Stereo, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, Cyberlink Power2Go 8, Cyberlink PowerDVD 12, MS Office (trial), 12 Months Warranty
Weight
1.5 kg ( = 52.91 oz / 3.31 pounds), Power Supply: 313 g ( = 11.04 oz / 0.69 pounds)
Price
800 Euro

 

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Links

  • Tips for buying a notebook - notebookCHECK Purchase Advisory

  • Find the right notebook - notebookCHECK Hardware Guide

  • Display resolution comparison - DPI (grain size) of displays

  • Our test criteria

Pros

+Matte panel
+High-quality case
+Low power consumption
+Good battery life
+Maintenance flap
+Fast SSD
+Free M.2 slot
+Two Windows OS
 

Cons

-Poor brightness and contrast
-One year warranty
-Expensive

Shortcut

What we like

The good battery life, fast SSD and free M.2 slot.

What we miss

A brighter panel with strong contrast.

What surprises us

Will HP ever learn? If you put out a few hundred Euros for a notebook, then it should at least be brighter than a candle.

The competition

Acer TravelMate P236-M, Asus Zenbook UX305Dell Latitude 13 3340Asus ASUSPRO Essential PU301LA-RO064GHP ProBook 430 G1Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZGFujitsu Lifebook E544 (14-inch), Lenovo ThinkPad L440 (14-inch).

Rating

HP ProBook 430 G2 L3Q21EA - 03/05/2015 v4(old)
Sascha Mölck

Chassis
80 / 98 → 82%
Keyboard
83%
Pointing Device
81%
Connectivity
66 / 80 → 83%
Weight
69 / 20-67 → 100%
Battery
89%
Display
70%
Games Performance
65 / 68 → 96%
Application Performance
77 / 92 → 84%
Temperature
89%
Noise
93%
Audio
50%
Camera
40 / 85 → 47%
Average
73%
80%
Office - Weighted Average
Sascha Mölck, 2015-03-11 (Update: 2018-05-15)