Fujitsu Lifebook U747 Notebook Review

The dimensions of the comparison devices are quite similar. HP's EliteBook 840 G3 is slightly bigger than the others in the test field, and Acer's TravelMate P648 is the thickest one. The U747 leads in terms of weight alongside the expensive ThinkPad T470s.

Fujitsu has made some interesting decisions for the interfaces, primarily when it concerns the video-outs. While the competition often installs HDMI and USB C/Thunderbolt 3, Fujitsu relies on two rather unusual video ports, i.e. a full-sized VGA and DisplayPort. Most manufacturers had mothballed the analog VGA-out years ago. VGA will likely be a negative point for most private customers as HDMI is certainly more useful today. However, large businesses with existing VGA hardware will be grateful to Fujitsu for this. DisplayPort is also rare. The standard is ever-present, but not in this form in laptops. Mini-DisplayPort or USB Type-C (with DisplayPort in alternate mode) is usually installed here for space reasons. Full-size DisplayPort is more often found in business monitors.

The U747 sports a USB Type-C port including DisplayPort, which can also be used to charge the laptop, another innovation compared with the predecessor. The fold-out Ethernet port has also been revised into a non-fold-out model - very nice. Not as nice is the fact that one USB Type-A port has been omitted.

The interface positioning is good; the ports are distributed evenly on both sides and are situated in the rear. Since the vents are located on the laptop's back, there is enough room on the sides. The individual ports are actually spaced generously enough with exception of the DisplayPort and Ethernet port. They might occasionally interfere with each other when both interfaces are used simultaneously.

The test with our Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II reference memory card shows that Fujitsu has neither installed the slowest nor the fastest SD-card reader. The U747 is roughly on par with the ThinkPad T470 but does not stand a chance against an especially fast card reader as, for example, in Dell's XPS 13. SD memory cards can be inserted completely into the card reader situated on the laptop's front edge, making a permanent storage expansion possible.

Cutbacks should not be made in the communication modules of business devices. After all, they have to connect employees reliably with the company's network. Thus, Fujitsu does not make compromises here and installs both an Ethernet solution and a Wi-Fi card by Intel. The Wi-Fi module with the model number 8625 is a dual-band 2x2 AC card. It did an impeccable job in the practical test and the benchmark result does not exhibit reason for complaint.

It is possible to always be connected on the go even without smartphone tethering with the U747. Fujitsu installs a UMTS card (Sierra EM7305) into our review sample. The user only has to insert a SIM card and can then go online.

The camera and both microphones are situated above the screen. Again, the often found segmentation of laptops is seen here: The webcam is inferior with noisy images and the microphones record voices loudly and clearly.

The U747 has various security features, such as BIOS passwords, TPM 2.0, and a swipe fingerprint sensor. The latter does an overall good job but sometimes does not respond after waking up from standby, which is probably due to a driver issue. The Lifebook U747 is also available with a so-called PalmSecure sensor. Here, it is not the finger that is scanned but the palm or more precisely the veins, which is even more reliable according to Fujitsu. The PalmSecure sensor is found in the more expensive models of the series.

The review sample only comes with the usual accessories ex-factory, i.e. battery, power supply, and quick-start guide. At least a recovery DVD for the preloaded Windows is included although a recovery USB flash drive would have made more sense for a system without a drive.

Fujitsu optionally has a proprietary docking station called Fujitsu port replicator. The Lifebook has a docking port on the underside for it.

Fujitsu's Lifebook U747 comes with a 2-year warranty ex-factory. It is a bring-in warranty. Warranty upgrade packages are available. For example, a warranty extension to three years with on-site service can be purchased at various retailers for approximately 90 Euros (~$96).

The competition often has more to offer. An on-site service and a three-year warranty are frequently standard among higher-class business devices.

Please see our Guarantees, Return Policies and Warranties FAQ for country-specific information.

Intel's Core i5-6200U was probably the most frequently used processor in the former Skylake generation, and the same will likely be true for the Core i5-7200U Kaby Lake successor that is installed into our review sample. It is a ULV processor from the U series, which means that it has a maximum power dissipation (TDP) of 15 watts. It is also a dual-core processor with two physical and two virtual cores (thanks to Hyper-Threading). The processor has a nominal clock of 2.5 GHz and maximum Turbo speed of 3.1 GHz. Being a ULV processor, it is predestined for use in ultrabooks, such as the U747.

We use the newest version of the Cinebench test for assessing the CPU performance. The processor achieves and also maintains its maximum clock rate in both the single-core and multi-core versions. Thus, the maximum possible performance is utilized ideally (at least in terms of pure CPU power; more about this in the "Temperature" section). The U747 places itself sequaciously below the T470s rival with a stronger Core i7-7600U but above many competitors furnished with the i7-6500U Skylake processor. The former Lifebook U745 that sports an almost two-year old i5-5300U Broadwell processor is roughly 18% slower in the multi-core test.

The differences fluctuated only marginally at around 330 points in our 30-minute Cinebench R15 multi-core loop test, which speaks for a permanently stable performance in everyday use. The performance also remained stable during prolonged CPU load.

Finally, it can be said that the CPU's complete performance is also available in battery mode. Artificial limitations are not implemented here.

Our CPU benchmark list offers further comparisons.

The Lifebook's system performance that we test using the PCMark benchmark is in the midfield. Subjectively, the performance is beyond reproach; the system runs quickly thanks to the SSD, enough RAM, and the modern processor. However, some laptops that achieve somewhat better results in the benchmark exist. The installed SSD that we look at in the next section is likely the reason for the sooner mediocre outcome.

The SSD by Samsung carries the model number MZYTY256HDHP. It is an M.2 SSD in the 2280 format that achieves at most SATA III speeds. The model is relatively slow for today's standards; many premium-range laptops are already furnished with faster NVMe SSDs. However, even slower models also exist among the SATA III SSDs, such as in the EliteBook 840 G3.

More benchmark comparisons can be made in our benchmark section for SSDs and HDDs.

Loyal readers of Notebookcheck have already been acquainted with Intel's HD Graphics 620. The integrated processor graphics (GT2 expansion stage with 24 execution units) is the IGPU that is installed by default in all 15-watt CPUs of the U-series, which are incorporated in the majority of all laptops sold.

The GPU does an astonishingly poor job in the 3DMark benchmarks. The former Lifebook U745 is only outperformed marginally in the FireStrike test. However, there is an explanation for this: The working memory slows down the GPU's speed since it operates in single-channel mode. A second RAM module should be installed for a higher performance, which is fortunately easy to implement.

Like in the CPU, the GPU's performance does not drop in battery mode. More comparisons can be made using our GPU benchmark list.

Despite all improvements over the years, the latest iGPUs are not fast enough for modern games. Of the three selected games, only BioShock Infinite could be played - and this only when using minimum details. Although a second memory bar would increase the performance slightly, it will not perform miracles. If the user wants to play games that go beyond casual games, such as Solitaire, or social games, another laptop should be chosen as the Lifebook U747 does not exist with a faster GPU. Of course, it has not been designed for such applications being a business laptop, and thus the lack of a dedicated graphics card is not a real minus point.

Gamers should preferably take a look at our top 10 lists of present multimedia or gaming laptops.

System Noise

Like in many ultrabooks, the fan is almost always inactive during everyday office/web use. However, the fan starts up when the system is loaded, but its noise level is always restrained. Unfortunately, the fan's noise is a bit annoying as it is relatively high-pitched. The system is quiet otherwise, and other distracting noises were not audible during the test. A hard drive can be excluded as a noise source as one is not installed.

The stereo speakers above the keyboard deliver the typical sound known from many laptops. Low tones do not exist and the speakers tend to distort at high volumes. The speakers are also relatively quiet: They are sufficient for a VoIP call, but they simply do not have enough power to fill a whole room with sound. External speakers and headphones that can be connected via the headset jack deliver a much better performance. It provides an impeccable and clear sound.

Frequency diagram in comparison (checkboxes above can be turned on/off!)

Power Consumption

The power consumption creates a mixed impression. On the one hand, the assumption that devices with higher-resolution screens, such as the Latitude E7470 and ThinkPad T470s, consume more power is again confirmed. On the other, some manufacturers seem to optimize their devices better when comparing, for example, the outcomes of Acer's TravelMate P468 and HP's EliteBook 840 G3.

Generally, the Lifebook does a decent job. However, the ThinkPad T470 based on very comparable components is even more efficient in idle and low load.

Fujitsu delivers the U747 with a generously sized 65-watt power supply although a 45-watt model would have been enough for the Lifebook's power consumption. However, the power supply is very small and compact so that it cannot be criticized.

The 50-Wh lithium-polymer battery in the Lifebook U747 can be removed. Thus, the Lifebook has the advantage over many competitors that a second and charged battery can be taken along to double the battery life, for example. Among the rivals, only the ThinkPad T470 is better equipped as it not only has a removable battery, but it also has an expandable battery.

The battery life largely confirms the power consumption outcomes. The U747 delivers good but not outstanding runtimes. These results are seen in all battery tests (our test criteria).