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Xiaomi RedmiBook 16 R5 laptop in the test - Great price-performance ratio with drawbacks

Xiaomi RedmiBook 16 R5 laptop in the test - Great price-performance ratio with drawbacks
Xiaomi RedmiBook 16 R5 laptop in the test - Great price-performance ratio with drawbacks
Apple copies from the Far East have a long tradition. The current RedmiBook 16 from Xiaomi is another reincarnation of the MacBook, in this case the current 16-inch version. Nevertheless, the package appears extremely attractive: A matt IPS display, Type-C charging, AMD Ryzen 5 4500U and 512 GB SSD storage at a price point of less than 700 Euros (~$788).

Who wouldn't start thinking about a possible purchase of a laptop with tempting specifications and an attractive appearance paired with an aggressive price? In this respect, one can already congratulate Xiaomi, mission successfully completed. But what about the inner values of the RedmiBook 16?

In our first tests of the display, we observed an average brightness of 260 Nits with a contrast of 1,572:1. Color deviations (DeltaE 2.6) and response time (30ms) are in the normal range. We could not determine the use of PWM.

In terms of performance, a first check of a multi-core load simulation using Cinebench is optimistic: In comparison with other notebooks with the same 4500U CPU, the RedmiBook shows no weakness. The Intel i7-10510U, which is often found in more expensive devices, remains clearly behind. However, the built-in SSD (Samsung PM881) should not be expected to be the best. The maximum transfer rates do not exceed 500 MB/s. The integrated AMD Radeon RX Vega 6 graphics solution can only handle current games with the lowest detail settings and resolutions. Older classics such as Dota 2, CS: Go and Fifa can be displayed in Full HD.

Cinebench R15 Multi-CPU Loop

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Xiaomi RedmiBook 16 R5 AMD Ryzen 5 4500U, AMD Ryzen 5 4500U: Ø906 (866.27-966.32)
Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ARE05 AMD Ryzen 5 4500U, AMD Ryzen 5 4500U: Ø930 (892.46-973.11)
HP ProBook 445 G7 175W4EA AMD Ryzen 5 4500U, AMD Ryzen 5 4500U: Ø761 (743.73-893.95)
Asus VivoBook 17 S712FA-DS76 Intel Core i7-10510U, Intel Core i7-10510U: Ø632 (585.94-668.57)
HP Envy x360 15-dr1679cl Intel Core i7-10510U, Intel Core i7-10510U: Ø623 (615.53-651.72)

We can also report that the device is mostly very quiet, and the fan isn't becoming too obtrusive, not even under load. The surface temperatures always remain in the green area (below 40 ° C). We also like the battery life: The Xiaomi RedmiBook 16 lasted more than 10 hours in our Wi-Fi test.

Given the low price, our criticism is limited at this early stage of testing. The lack of a webcam is certainly unfavorable in times of Corona, the lack of an SD card reader is manageable for most users. Considerably more annoying is the Chinese version of Windows with which the RedmiBook is only delivered. With import devices you should always keep in mind that problems regarding service and support are possible, in the event of device defects.

The Xiaomi RedmiBook 16 R5 laptop is currently still in the test, a release of the finished review is expected in the coming weeks.

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > News > News Archive > Newsarchive 2020 07 > Xiaomi RedmiBook 16 R5 laptop in the test - Great price-performance ratio with drawbacks
J. Simon Leitner, 2020-07- 2 (Update: 2020-07- 2)