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MagyarFujitsu LifeBook U745 Ultrabook Review
For the original German review, see here.
With the LifeBook U745 series, Fujitsu offers a number of 14-inch business Ultrabooks and rounds off the lower end of their line-up. With the LifeBook U904, the company already offers such a model in the premium class (Fujitsu's "Superior" class). The LifeBook U745 belongs to the upper class (Fujitsu's "Advanced" class). Differences between the two series become obvious when looking at the technical data: The U904 models are a few millimeters slimmer than the U745 models. In addition, the U745 models only feature HD+ displays, while Fujitsu uses WQHD+ displays in the U904 models. Our review will reveal whether the new model is convincing.
The competitors of the LifeBook are the Lenovo ThinkPad T450s, the HP EliteBook 840 G2, the Dell Latitude E7450 and the Acer TravelMate P645-S. These computers are also 14-inch business notebooks of the upper class.
Case & Connectivity
The case of the LifeBook is made from aluminum and magnesium. The lid and upper side of the base unit are anthracite gray. The computer does not have major weaknesses in build quality and stability. However, in our opinion the base unit twists too easily. The hinges hold the lid tightly in position and bounce a little. It is just possible to open the lid with one hand.
There are three hatches on the underside of the computer. The large hatch hides the battery and the SIM card slot. It is easy to remove the battery as it is not screwed. The medium-sized hatch allows accessing the solid-state disk, the LTE modem and the BIOS battery. The RAM slot is behind the small hatch. The two smaller hatches are fixed by one screw each. The large hatch can be opened with levers.
The Wi-Fi module comes from Intel (7265). It supports the fast AC standard. The Wi-Fi connection to our router was always stable without any interruptions. The Gigabit Ethernet chip is also from Intel. The built-in LTE modem makes accessing the Internet or the corporate network possible via cellular network.
Despite the slim exterior, Fujitsu has incorporated many interfaces. The small computer provides you with three USB 3.0 ports and two video outputs. A fingerprint reader, which is mandatory for business notebooks, is missing. Instead, Fujitsu has incorporated a PalmSecure sensor, which allows biometric access control. A person's vein pattern is captured with infrared light instead of a fingerprint.
Input Devices
Keyboard
Fujitsu has equipped the LifeBook with an illuminated Chiclet keyboard with two brightness levels. The keys have a medium travel, a clear pressure point, and a comfortable resistance. The keyboard yields slightly towards the outer edges when typing, but this was not particularly annoying. All things considered, Fujitsu has included a good keyboard, which is suitable for prolific writers.
Touchpad
The multi-touch capable touchpad has a size of about 9.5 x 5 cm (~3.7 x ~2 in) and is therefore sufficiently large for gesture control. Fingers glide easily over the touchpad's smooth surface. There are two dedicated mouse buttons with a short travel and clearly audible and palpable pressure point in front of the pad.
Touchscreen
Our test model comes with a touchscreen. The LifeBook is also available without touchscreen. The touchscreen works flawlessly and is responsive. We did not encounter any problems. Fujitsu has incorporated a largely anti-reflective model. Compared to displays from other manufacturers, glare is limited.
Display
The LifeBook features a 14-inch display with a native resolution of 1600x900 pixels. Fujitsu does not offer any other display options. The average brightness is only 251.7 cd/m², which is too low in view of the computer's price. We expected a brightness of above 300 cd/m², since a 14-inch laptop would be used in different locations and light conditions. However, the displays of competitors like the Lenovo ThinkPad T450s (268.4 cd/m²) and the Dell Latitude 14 E7450 (257.3 cd/m²) have hardly better values.
Fujitsu claims that this is an "anti-glare" display. We concur with their opinion to some extent. The glare is significantly lower than we are used to from touchscreen devices. We would call the display surface as "matt-reflective".
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 81 %
Center on Battery: 250 cd/m²
Contrast: 261:1 (Black: 0.95 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 9.92 | 0.55-29.43 Ø5.1
ΔE Greyscale 10.69 | 0.57-98 Ø5.4
39.8% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
43.08% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
62.6% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
41.67% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.2
Contrast (261:1) and black value (0.95 cd/m²) are poor. These values are also not appropriate for the notebook's price. The displays of the ThinkPad (1110:1; 0.25 cd/m²) and the Latitude (933:1; 0.3 cd/m²) show how it should be. The LifeBook does not cover AdobeRGB and sRGB. The coverage is about 39.8% (AdobeRGB) and 57.2% (sRGB), respectively.
In state of delivery, the display has an average DeltaE 2000 shift of 9.92. The target value should be smaller than 3. In addition, the display is bluish. Calibration improves the colors significantly. For example, the color shift decreases to 2.8 and is well within the target. What is more, the blue tint disappears.
Fujitsu has equipped the LifeBook with a TN panel with narrow viewing angles. Therefore, it is not possible to read from the display from all angles. As is usual for this type of displays, the horizontal angle is quite large and several people can read from the display at the same time. However, things are different in vertical direction. The image deteriorates quickly when changing the angle. The LifeBook can be used outdoors when the sky is overcast.
| Fujitsu LifeBook U745 TN 1600x900 | Lenovo ThinkPad T450s-20BWS03F00 IPS 1920x1080 | Acer TravelMate P645-S-58HK IPS 1920x1080 | Dell Latitude E7450 IPS 1920x1080 | HP EliteBook 840 G2 TN 1600x900 | HP Elitebook 745 G2 TN 1366x768 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display | 44% | 53% | 55% | -7% | -13% | |
| Display P3 Coverage | 41.67 | 64.8 56% | 66.7 60% | 66.6 60% | 38.82 -7% | 36.42 -13% |
| sRGB Coverage | 62.6 | 83.8 34% | 90.8 45% | 92.4 48% | 58.4 -7% | 54.7 -13% |
| AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 43.08 | 61.2 42% | 66.5 54% | 67.7 57% | 40.11 -7% | 37.64 -13% |
| Screen | 73% | 62% | 65% | -2% | -9% | |
| Brightness middle | 248 | 272 10% | 331 33% | 280 13% | 267 8% | 208 -16% |
| Brightness | 252 | 268 6% | 309 23% | 257 2% | 240 -5% | 202 -20% |
| Brightness Distribution | 81 | 91 12% | 82 1% | 75 -7% | 84 4% | 76 -6% |
| Black Level * | 0.95 | 0.245 74% | 0.4 58% | 0.3 68% | 0.8 16% | 0.72 24% |
| Contrast | 261 | 1110 325% | 828 217% | 933 257% | 334 28% | 289 11% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 9.92 | 4.35 56% | 4.07 59% | 3.45 65% | 12.71 -28% | 12.51 -26% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 10.69 | 3.7 65% | 4.86 55% | 3.35 69% | 13.91 -30% | 13.57 -27% |
| Gamma | 2.2 100% | 2.68 82% | 2.49 88% | 2.37 93% | 2.35 94% | 2.15 102% |
| CCT | 12000 54% | 6076 107% | 6109 106% | 6940 94% | 20099 32% | 15339 42% |
| Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998) | 39.8 | 54.7 37% | 59 48% | 60 51% | 37.2 -7% | 35 -12% |
| Color Space (Percent of sRGB) | 83.5 | 90.6 | 92 | |||
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | 59% /
65% | 58% /
59% | 60% /
62% | -5% /
-3% | -11% /
-10% |
* ... smaller is better
Performance
With the LifeBook U745, Fujitsu has a 14-inch business Ultrabook in its line-up. Its processor brings sufficient performance for everyday tasks. The device features a docking port, TPM, and an LTE modem. Our test model is priced at about 1350 Euros (~$1509). Fujitsu also offers other configurations.
Processor
Fujitsu sent us a test model with a Core i5-5300U (Broadwell) dual core processor. It is a frugal ULV processor with a TDP of 15 watts. The CPU runs at 2.3 GHz. With Turbo, the clock rate can increase to 2.7 GHz (both cores) or 2.9 GHz (one core). The maximum Turbo clock is available to the owner of the LifeBook in mains operation as well as on battery. The Broadwell CPU can beat its predecessor - the Core i5-4300U. The CPU benchmark results are about 5 to 10% better. Since both processors have the same maximum clock (2.9 GHz), the performance gain is due to the improvements in the Broadwell architecture.
| Cinebench R10 | |
| Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit (sort by value) | |
| Fujitsu LifeBook U745 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T450s-20BWS03F00 | |
| Dell Latitude E7450 | |
| Acer TravelMate P645-S-58HK | |
| HP EliteBook 840 G2 | |
| Rendering Single 32Bit (sort by value) | |
| Fujitsu LifeBook U745 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T450s-20BWS03F00 | |
| Dell Latitude E7450 | |
| Acer TravelMate P645-S-58HK | |
| HP EliteBook 840 G2 | |
| Sunspider - 1.0 Total Score (sort by value) | |
| Fujitsu LifeBook U745 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T450s-20BWS03F00 | |
| Dell Latitude E7450 | |
| Acer TravelMate P645-S-58HK | |
| HP EliteBook 840 G2 | |
| Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total Score (sort by value) | |
| Fujitsu LifeBook U745 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T450s-20BWS03F00 | |
| Dell Latitude E7450 | |
| Acer TravelMate P645-S-58HK | |
| HP EliteBook 840 G2 | |
| Octane V2 - Total Score (sort by value) | |
| Fujitsu LifeBook U745 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T450s-20BWS03F00 | |
| Dell Latitude E7450 | |
| Acer TravelMate P645-S-58HK | |
| HP EliteBook 840 G2 | |
| Peacekeeper - --- (sort by value) | |
| Fujitsu LifeBook U745 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T450s-20BWS03F00 | |
| Dell Latitude E7450 | |
| Acer TravelMate P645-S-58HK | |
| HP EliteBook 840 G2 | |
* ... smaller is better
System Performance
The system runs smoothly without any problems. Windows boots up quickly. The results in the PC Mark benchmarks are also very good. The system performance of the LifeBook cannot be increased any further. Already, the RAM works in dual channel mode and a solid-state disk is used as system drive.
| PCMark 7 Score | 4464 points | |
| PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2 | 3224 points | |
| PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2 | 3392 points | |
| PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2 | 4218 points | |
Help | ||
| PCMark 8 - Home Score Accelerated v2 (sort by value) | |
| Fujitsu LifeBook U745 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T450s-20BWS03F00 | |
| Dell Latitude E7450 | |
| Acer TravelMate P645-S-58HK | |
| HP EliteBook 840 G2 | |
| HP Elitebook 745 G2 | |
| PCMark 7 - Score (sort by value) | |
| Fujitsu LifeBook U745 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T450s-20BWS03F00 | |
| Dell Latitude E7450 | |
| Acer TravelMate P645-S-58HK | |
| HP EliteBook 840 G2 | |
| HP Elitebook 745 G2 | |
Storage Devices
Fujitsu has equipped the LifeBook with a 2.5-inch solid-state disk from Samsung. Thus, the SSD could be easily replaced by a model with a larger capacity. The built-in SSD has a capacity of 256 GB. About 200 GB is available to the user; the rest is used by Windows and the recovery partition. Overall, the transfer rates of the SSD are good.
Graphics Card
Intel's HD Graphics 5500 graphics core is used in the LifeBook. The GPU supports DirectX 11.2 and runs at up to 900 MHz. The results in the 3D Mark benchmarks are normal for this graphics core. The GPU benefits from the dual channel mode RAM; it is used more efficiently, improving the graphics performance. Without the dual channel mode, the LifeBook would for example achieve about 1000 points in the 3D Mark 2011 benchmark.
| 3DMark 11 Performance | 1142 points | |
| 3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score | 49535 points | |
| 3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score | 5348 points | |
| 3DMark Fire Strike Score | 714 points | |
Help | ||
| 3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance (sort by value) | |
| Fujitsu LifeBook U745 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T450s-20BWS03F00 | |
| Dell Latitude E7450 | |
| Acer TravelMate P645-S-58HK | |
| HP EliteBook 840 G2 | |
| HP Elitebook 745 G2 | |
Gaming Performance
The LifeBook is not suitable for running the latest 3D games. Only a few games reach playable frame rates with low resolutions and low to relatively medium quality settings. Even that is not enough for a current game like “GTA V”. Computer games also benefit from the dual channel mode RAM. The frame rates are 5 to 40% higher than in the single channel mode.
| low | med. | high | ultra | |
| Tomb Raider (2013) | 55.9 | 28.5 | 18.3 | 9.1 |
| Thief (2014) | 17.4 | 11 | 9.2 | 4.3 |
| GRID: Autosport (2014) | 85 | 30 | 16.7 | 12.5 |
Emissions
System Noise
While idling, the fan of the LifeBook usually stands still and the notebook works silently. During the stress test, we measured a maximum noise level of 44.2 dB(A). When you consider that the CPU and GPU throttle during the stress test, this value is too high. A more conservative fan control should ensure sufficient cooling. The user can adapt the fan control in the BIOS. Our test model uses "Normal" mode. A "Silent" mode is also available.
Unfortunately, it is not only the fan noise that is audible. You can also hear a quiet buzzing sound when the ear is put close to the fan grille. This noise is not audible at a normal sitting distance to the computer. In addition, the notebook produces occasional electronic whistling sounds, which is actually audible and can become annoying.
Noise Level
| Idle |
| 29 / 29 / 29 dB(A) |
| Load |
| 35.1 / 44.2 dB(A) |
 | ||
30 dB silent 40 dB(A) audible 50 dB(A) loud |
||
min:  , med:  , max:  Voltcraft sl-451 (15 cm distance) | ||
| Fujitsu LifeBook U745 5500/5300U | Lenovo ThinkPad T450s-20BWS03F00 5500/5600U | Acer TravelMate P645-S-58HK 5500/5200U | Dell Latitude E7450 5500/5300U | HP EliteBook 840 G2 5500/5200U | HP Elitebook 745 G2 R6 (Kaveri)/A10 Pro-7350B | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noise | 5% | 2% | 1% | 6% | 1% | |
| Idle Minimum * | 29 | 29.1 -0% | 29.6 -2% | 29.1 -0% | 29.1 -0% | 31.2 -8% |
| Idle Average * | 29 | 29.1 -0% | 29.6 -2% | 29.1 -0% | 29.1 -0% | 31.2 -8% |
| Idle Maximum * | 29 | 29.1 -0% | 30.2 -4% | 30 -3% | 29.1 -0% | 31.2 -8% |
| Load Average * | 35.1 | 34.3 2% | 35.6 -1% | 36.4 -4% | 32.2 8% | 32.7 7% |
| Load Maximum * | 44.2 | 34.8 21% | 35.9 19% | 37.8 14% | 34.2 23% | 35.3 20% |
* ... smaller is better
Temperature
The LifeBook behaves the same way in the stress test (Prime95 and FurMark run for at least one hour) in mains operation and on battery. In the first minute, the CPU and the GPU work at full speed. Afterwards, they throttle at 1.3 to 1.4 GHz (CPU) and 700 MHz (graphics core). The computer does not get particularly hot. During the stress test, none of the measurement quadrants reached the 40 degrees Celsius (~104 °F) level.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 39.7 °C / 103 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 34.4 °C / 94 F, compared to the average of 36.7 °C / 98 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 28.1 °C / 83 F, compared to the device average of 29.5 °C / 85 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 30.9 °C / 87.6 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 27.8 °C / 82 F (-3.1 °C / -5.6 F).
| Fujitsu LifeBook U745 5500/5300U | Lenovo ThinkPad T450s-20BWS03F00 5500/5600U | Acer TravelMate P645-S-58HK 5500/5200U | Dell Latitude E7450 5500/5300U | HP EliteBook 840 G2 5500/5200U | HP Elitebook 745 G2 R6 (Kaveri)/A10 Pro-7350B | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heat | 5% | -6% | -5% | -2% | -15% | |
| Maximum Upper Side * | 39.7 | 35.1 12% | 41.6 -5% | 41.6 -5% | 37.5 6% | 40.4 -2% |
| Maximum Bottom * | 34.4 | 36.6 -6% | 41.7 -21% | 37.1 -8% | 38.4 -12% | 43.6 -27% |
| Idle Upper Side * | 29.1 | 26.4 9% | 30.6 -5% | 28.7 1% | 28.7 1% | 33.1 -14% |
| Idle Bottom * | 29.3 | 28 4% | 27.5 6% | 31.4 -7% | 30.1 -3% | 33.6 -15% |
* ... smaller is better
Speakers
Fujitsu has placed the speakers at the front edge of the underside. They cannot produce a bombastic sound - quite the contrary. The speakers only bring a thin, slightly tinny sound without bass. This is not surprising, since it is a business notebook and not a multimedia laptop. However, the speakers are sufficient for telephony.
Energy Management
Power Consumption
The LifeBook is frugal while idling: We measured a maximum power consumption of 6.4 watts. Under load, the hardware requires more energy. The power consumption increases to 44.4 watts during the stress test. However, this is only true in the first minute. Afterwards the CPU and the GPU throttle and the power consumption drops to 27 watts. In any case, the power adapter's capacity of 65 watts is sufficient.
| Off / Standby | 0 / 0.1 Watt |
| Idle | 3.4 / 5.8 / 6.4 Watt |
| Load |
25.5 / 44.4 Watt |
   
| |
| Fujitsu LifeBook U745 5500/5300U | Lenovo ThinkPad T450s-20BWS03F00 5500/5600U | Acer TravelMate P645-S-58HK 5500/5200U | Dell Latitude E7450 5500/5300U | HP EliteBook 840 G2 5500/5200U | HP Elitebook 745 G2 R6 (Kaveri)/A10 Pro-7350B | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | -11% | -5% | -17% | 10% | -37% | |
| Idle Minimum * | 3.4 | 2.9 15% | 3.2 6% | 4 -18% | 2.6 24% | 6.1 -79% |
| Idle Average * | 5.8 | 6.6 -14% | 6.3 -9% | 7.8 -34% | 5.1 12% | 8.8 -52% |
| Idle Maximum * | 6.4 | 7.9 -23% | 8.6 -34% | 9 -41% | 5.8 9% | 9.9 -55% |
| Load Average * | 25.5 | 30.8 -21% | 30.3 -19% | 31.6 -24% | 28.7 -13% | 31.2 -22% |
| Load Maximum * | 44.4 | 48.8 -10% | 30.4 32% | 29.6 33% | 36.8 17% | 33.5 25% |
* ... smaller is better
Battery Life
While idling, the LifeBook lasts 12:30 h. Thus, it performs worse than competitors like the Lenovo ThinkPad T450s (12:54 h) and the HP EliteBook 840 G2 (16:01 h). We test the idle runtime with the Battery Eater Reader's test with minimum display brightness, energy saving profile and disabled Wi-Fi modules. Under load, the LifeBook shuts down after 1:56 h. The EliteBook (1:52 h) achieves a similar value. The ThinkPad (1:28 h) performs the worst. The load runtime is recorded with the Battery Eater Classic test with maximum display brightness, maximum performance profile and enabled Wi-Fi modules.
The Fujitsu Ultrabook ends our realistic Wi-Fi test in 6:09 h and ranks between the ThinkPad (4:36 h) and the EliteBook (7:02 h). This test opens web sites automatically at 40-second intervals. The profile "balanced" is active and the display brightness is set to about 150 cd/m². We test the battery life during video playback by running the short film Big Buck Bunny (H.264 coding, 1920x1080 pixels) in a loop. The Wi-Fi modules are disabled and the display brightness is set to about 150 cd/m². The LifeBook achieves a battery runtime of about 5:29 h. The ThinkPad (5:22 h) and the EliteBook (5:24 h) are on par.
| Fujitsu LifeBook U745 5500/5300U | Lenovo ThinkPad T450s-20BWS03F00 5500/5600U | Acer TravelMate P645-S-58HK 5500/5200U | Dell Latitude E7450 5500/5300U | HP EliteBook 840 G2 5500/5200U | HP Elitebook 745 G2 R6 (Kaveri)/A10 Pro-7350B | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Runtime | -12% | 39% | 11% | 9% | -23% | |
| Reader / Idle | 750 | 774 3% | 1143 52% | 714 -5% | 961 28% | 562 -25% |
| H.264 | 329 | 322 -2% | 525 60% | 452 37% | 324 -2% | 246 -25% |
| WiFi v1.3 | 369 | 276 -25% | 535 45% | 422 14% | 422 14% | |
| Load | 116 | 88 -24% | 113 -3% | 115 -1% | 112 -3% | 95 -18% |
| WiFi | 336 | 459 | 279 |
Pros
Cons
Verdict
With the LifeBook U745, Fujitsu has a 14-inch Ultrabook in its series. The hardware is inside a presentable, elegant case made of aluminum and magnesium. Thanks to its Core i5 processor, it does not lack processing performance. A solid-state disk ensures a fast running system. Usually, the computer works quietly to silently and does hardly get warm. In addition, there are good input devices. The battery life is alright, yet not outstanding. However, competitors like the Dell Latitude 14 E7450 and the Acer TravelMate P645-S keep running significantly longer.
Unfortunately, Fujitsu damages the good impression of the computer with the choice of display.
The built-in panel is a low-contrast TN display with narrow viewing angles, which is not appropriate for this price range.
Fujitsu LifeBook U745
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04/26/2015 v4(old)
Sascha Mölck
Pricecompare
