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MagyarHP EliteBook 745 G3 Notebook Review
For the original German review, see here.
Buyers presently looking for a premium business laptop in a classic 14-inch size are spoiled for choice. Virtually all big manufacturers have several of these models in their lineup that all have one thing in common: a central processing unit by Intel. Solely HP remains loyal to AMD and has now updated its EliteBook 700 lineup with the latest "Carrizo" APU generation.
Surprisingly, the EliteBook 745 G3 that is also offered in 12 inches (EliteBook 725 G3) and 15 inches (EliteBook 755 G3) does not want to score as much with its price, but primarily with its impressive overall configuration. The buyer not only finds AMD's newest Pro A12-8800B premium model but also 8 GB of RAM, a 256 GB SSD and - believe it or not - an IPS-based WQHD panel (2560x1440 pixels) for roughly 1300 Euros (~$1404). By comparison: The EliteBook 840 G3 sister model with a Core i5-6200U CPU only offers 4 GB of RAM and a Full HD TN screen at the same price.
The rivals from Dell and Lenovo based on comparable equipment, for example the Latitude E7450 or ThinkPad T450 (both with Broadwell processors; Skylake successors are waiting in the wings), are situated just over the 745 G3. We will find out whether Intel's hardware justifies the higher price level in the following.
Considering the similarities to the EliteBook 745 G2, we will not reexamine the casing, connectivity and input devices, and only briefly deal with existing differences at the beginning.
Innovations
The EliteBook 745 G3 is the direct successor of the 745 G2, and fundamentally relies on the same barebone. However, the manufacturer has modified the casing slightly in some places - but not always for the better. Among other things, we miss the convenient maintenance hatch of the old model that has now been replaced with an awkwardly screw-fastened base plate. Replacing the battery or cleaning the fan now takes a lot longer. Just as aggravating: In the course of updating connectivity, HP's engineers have laudably added a USB Type C port (USB 3.0), but axed two of the four conventional USB ports in the same breath. However, we have to praise the keyboard that now seems to have a somewhat longer drop and is crisper than before.
Display
For a long time the EliteBook lineup was preferentially furnished with low-cost, but technically inferior TN panels (particularly the AMD models). That is now different: The presently only available configuration of the 745 G3 relies on an impressive IPS screen that reproduces rich 2560x1440 pixels at a diagonal of 14.0 inches. That equals a pixel density of 210 PPI, and thus not one single pixel can be seen at a normal seating distance. We would recommend a scaling of 125 percent in Windows for an ideal compromise of text size and desktop surface.
The screen not only boasts with its pure pixel count - it is also first rate. A maximum brightness of over 300 cd/m² is more than impressive although the illumination of only 74 percent could be improved. However, this shortcoming is barely noticed subjectively in real world use. PWM technology is not used for LED backlight control, and thus the screen never flickers. The panel reproduces a very saturated black even in maximum brightness (0.29 cd/m²) so that the contrast ratio of 1100:1 is even a bit higher than those of the Latitude E7450 and ThinkPad T450s.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 74 %
Center on Battery: 320 cd/m²
Contrast: 1100:1 (Black: 0.29 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 7.23 | 0.55-29.43 Ø5.1
ΔE Greyscale 6 | 0.57-98 Ø5.4
95.3% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
65.8% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
74.5% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
95.8% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
75.7% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.14
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 2560x1440 IPS-Panel | HP Elitebook 745 G2 1366x768 TN-Panel | HP EliteBook 840 G2 1600x900 TN-Panel | Dell Latitude E7450 1920x1080 IPS-Panel | Lenovo ThinkPad T450s-20BWS1UT00 1920x1080 IPS-Panel | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display | -48% | -45% | -8% | -15% | |
| Display P3 Coverage | 75.7 | 36.42 -52% | 38.82 -49% | 66.6 -12% | 64.8 -14% |
| sRGB Coverage | 95.8 | 54.7 -43% | 58.4 -39% | 92.4 -4% | 83.8 -13% |
| AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 74.5 | 37.64 -49% | 40.11 -46% | 67.7 -9% | 61.2 -18% |
| Response Times | |||||
| Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 46.8 ? | ||||
| Response Time Black / White * | 25.2 ? | ||||
| PWM Frequency | |||||
| Screen | -67% | -65% | 4% | 8% | |
| Brightness middle | 319 | 208 -35% | 267 -16% | 280 -12% | 288 -10% |
| Brightness | 301 | 202 -33% | 240 -20% | 257 -15% | 281 -7% |
| Brightness Distribution | 74 | 76 3% | 84 14% | 75 1% | 94 27% |
| Black Level * | 0.29 | 0.72 -148% | 0.8 -176% | 0.3 -3% | 0.286 1% |
| Contrast | 1100 | 289 -74% | 334 -70% | 933 -15% | 1007 -8% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 7.23 | 12.51 -73% | 12.71 -76% | 3.45 52% | 4.35 40% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 6 | 13.57 -126% | 13.91 -132% | 3.35 44% | 3.7 38% |
| Gamma | 2.14 103% | 2.15 102% | 2.35 94% | 2.37 93% | 2.68 82% |
| CCT | 6904 94% | 15339 42% | 20099 32% | 6940 94% | 6076 107% |
| Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998) | 65.8 | 35 -47% | 37.2 -43% | 60 -9% | 54.7 -17% |
| Color Space (Percent of sRGB) | 95.3 | 92 -3% | |||
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | -58% /
-62% | -55% /
-59% | -2% /
1% | -4% /
2% |
* ... smaller is better
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM not detected | ||
In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 19025 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured. | ||
The color reproduction of the EliteBook is not quite as noteworthy. Although the generous sRGB color space of over 95 percent should actually present the best precondition for an accurate reproduction, the DeltaE shifts of 7.2 (colors) and 6.0 (grayscale) is relatively high. Calibrating improves these rates to 5.2 (colors) and 1.8 (grayscale) - certainly not enough for professional photographers and image editors, but very satisfactory for all other users.
The weight of less than 1.6 kg (~3.5 lb) makes the 745 G3 an extremely mobile companion that also looks good outdoors. The screen's combination of high maximum brightness and non-glare surface ensures that the user can work without restrictions even on sunny days - that was not the case with the predecessor.
Outdoors (sunlight)
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 25.2 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 6 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 19.2 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows relatively slow response rates in our tests and may be too slow for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 52 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (22.2 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 46.8 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 18 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 28.8 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.25 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 77 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (35.1 ms). | ||
The image quality only decreases insignificantly even from slanted views thanks to IPS technology. The contrast ratio remains subjectively high and colors are presented without shifts, even from 45-degree angles. That is especially beneficial when several users are looking at the screen at the same time - no matter if for reviewing the most recent quarterly figures or a movie night at home.
Performance
The business counterpart of the Carrizo top model FX-8800P is behind AMD's Pro A12-8800B. The technical specs of both models are exactly the same (4 cores, 2.1 to 3.4 GHz), but AMD guaranties a longer availability of spare parts for the Pro lineup, among other things. The chip built in the 28-nanometer technology is specified at a TDP of 15 watts, which includes the integrated chipset and graphics unit besides the CPU cores.
The latter traditionally belongs to the biggest strengths of all AMD APUs, and it is impressive in this case: A total of 512 GCN shaders (8 compute units) clocked at up to 800 MHz provides the Radeon R7 with a theoretical computing performance that outshines some dedicated mid-range accelerators. However, the low TDP usually limits the potential clock headroom in real world use - and the memory interface is also an issue.
The graphics power is highly dependent on the bandwidth even when using a fast dual-channel RAM. Nevertheless, many manufacturers only install one module for cost reasons (or to make it easier for the user to upgrade), like HP in its 743 G3. We therefore installed an additional 8 GB DDR3L-1600 bar for assessing the resulting performance gain in the following 3D and gaming benchmarks.
Processor
First, a look at the processor part that has improved drastically compared with its predecessor. The A12-8800B has an edge of approximately 30 percent on the A10 Pro-7350B - an astonishing leap for a single CPU generation. However, we have to put this praise back into perspective in two aspects: Firstly, the A12-8800B - and thus, also the identically built FX-8800P - hardly has any advantages over the smaller A10-8700P in 15-watt mode. The CPU consistently fluctuates between 2.5 and 3.4 GHz in the single thread test, and the multi-thread benchmark finishes with poor 2.2 GHz after initial 2.5 GHz. Secondly, the A12-8800B has to take a place clearly behind the entire Core i lineup, and is surpassed by a mere Core i3-6100U by approximately 20 to 30 percent. This difference increases even a bit more during long-lasting full load due to the described clock reduction.
We did not ascertain any performance differences between AC and battery mode in the test.
| Cinebench R15 | |
| CPU Single 64Bit (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| HP Elitebook 745 G2 | |
| HP Pavilion 17-g054ng | |
| HP ProBook 440 G3 PL | |
| Medion Akoya E6422 | |
| CPU Multi 64Bit (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| HP Elitebook 745 G2 | |
| HP Pavilion 17-g054ng | |
| HP ProBook 440 G3 PL | |
| Medion Akoya E6422 | |
| Cinebench R11.5 | |
| CPU Single 64Bit (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| HP Elitebook 745 G2 | |
| HP Pavilion 17-g054ng | |
| HP ProBook 440 G3 PL | |
| Medion Akoya E6422 | |
| CPU Multi 64Bit (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| HP Elitebook 745 G2 | |
| HP Pavilion 17-g054ng | |
| HP ProBook 440 G3 PL | |
| Medion Akoya E6422 | |
| X264 HD Benchmark 4.0 | |
| Pass 1 (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| HP Pavilion 17-g054ng | |
| HP ProBook 440 G3 PL | |
| Medion Akoya E6422 | |
| Pass 2 (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| HP Pavilion 17-g054ng | |
| HP ProBook 440 G3 PL | |
| Medion Akoya E6422 | |
Storage Device
With Samsung's PM851 (MZNTE256HMHP), a proven M.2 2280 SSD is installed in the 745 G3 that impresses with decent performance rates at a comparatively reasonable price. The 256 GB storage reads at a speed of up to 482 MB/s via the SATA 6 GB/s interface. It is still 259 MB/s in write. Although the PM851 cannot compete with the fastest PCIe flash memories, HP has made a good choice in view of the solid 4K performance and the reliability of current Samsung SSDs.
System Performance
More interesting than the raw figures, many potential buyers will be curious if the performance deficit of the Carrizo APU compared with current Intel models is noticeable in practice. We would like to first note that the EliteBook makes quite a powerful impression in real world use, and copes with all common office and Internet applications without lags. However, the moderate single thread performance is repeatedly noticed in some situations, such as installations, a poorly optimized website or an inconsistently parallelized program. On the other hand, the faster, Intel-based sister models of the 840 G3 lineup also cost considerably more as said. Our review sample fares surprisingly well in PCMark 8 since the Radeon R7 strong OpenCL performance comes into its own.
| PCMark 7 - Score (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| HP Elitebook 745 G2 | |
| HP EliteBook 840 G2 | |
| Dell Latitude E7450 | |
| HP Envy 13-d000ng | |
| PCMark 8 | |
| Home Score Accelerated v2 (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| HP Elitebook 745 G2 | |
| HP EliteBook 840 G2 | |
| Dell Latitude E7450 | |
| HP Envy 13-d000ng | |
| Creative Score Accelerated v2 (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| HP EliteBook 840 G2 | |
| Dell Latitude E7450 | |
| HP Envy 13-d000ng | |
| Work Score Accelerated v2 (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| HP Elitebook 745 G2 | |
| HP EliteBook 840 G2 | |
| Dell Latitude E7450 | |
| HP Envy 13-d000ng | |
| PCMark 7 Score | 3407 points | |
| PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2 | 2445 points | |
| PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2 | 2652 points | |
| PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2 | 3424 points | |
Help | ||
Graphics Card
The Radeon R7 (Carrizo) outclasses the HD Graphics 520 (Skylake GT2) with the same memory configuration in the synthetic benchmark by approximately 30 percent, and thus achieves the level of a dedicated GeForce 920M. The Iris Graphics 540 (Skylake GT3e) calculates 30 percent faster, and keeps the performance crown in the 15-watt sector inimitably thanks to its fast eDRAM memory. Corresponding models, such as the Core i7-6650U, play in a completely different price league so that Carrizo seems quite well positioned in its category.
Carrizo continues to integrate a modern video decoder that can even process HEVC/H.265 material (main profile). However, that can only be used with third party software, such as PowerDVD, in Windows 7 that HP installs; only Windows 10 supports the new codec natively.
| 3DMark - 1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| HP EliteBook 840 G2 | |
| HP ProBook 440 G3 | |
| Microsoft Surface Pro 4, Core i5, 128GB | |
| Microsoft Surface Pro 4 Core i7 | |
| Dell Inspiron 15-5558 | |
| 3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| HP EliteBook 840 G2 | |
| HP ProBook 440 G3 | |
| Microsoft Surface Pro 4, Core i5, 128GB | |
| Microsoft Surface Pro 4 Core i7 | |
| Dell Inspiron 15-5558 | |
| 3DMark 06 Standard Score | 5276 points | |
| 3DMark Vantage P Result | 4300 points | |
| 3DMark 11 Performance | 1527 points | |
| 3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score | 30108 points | |
| 3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score | 3247 points | |
| 3DMark Fire Strike Score | 689 points | |
Help | ||
Gaming Performance
We first limited ourselves to five games for testing the laptop's gaming suitability in delivery state in view of the massive performance loss that single-channel mode entails. The disappointing verdict: More than 1024x768 pixels and minimum settings are not possible even in games with relatively low graphic requirements, such as "Tomb Raider" or "BioShock Infinite".
The performance climbed by an impressive 40 percent with a second memory module. Consequently, users who regularly play games or work with 3D applications should invest in one as soon as possible. Although the hardware then only copes with the fewest games from the past two years, considerably higher settings can be selected while still achieving playable frame rates in older games.
We can only affirm the HD Graphics 520 and Radeon R7 to be on par in total, which is due to occasional CPU limits (e.g. "Sims 4", "Thief") as well as the more limiting TDP in Carrizo. In practice, the maximum GPU clock of 800 MHz is hardly fully utilized - in fact, only approximately 500 to 550 MHz is reached depending on the CPU part's load. That would very likely look different if AMD could fall back on modern 14 nanometer processing like Intel today.
| Tomb Raider | |
| 1024x768 Low Preset (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| Asus F555LJ-XX110H | |
| HP ProBook 430 G3 P5T00ES | |
| Microsoft Surface Pro 4, Core i5, 128GB | |
| HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
| HP Pavilion 17-g054ng | |
| Acer Aspire V3-371-58DJ | |
| 1366x768 Normal Preset AA:FX AF:4x (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| Asus F555LJ-XX110H | |
| HP ProBook 430 G3 P5T00ES | |
| Microsoft Surface Pro 4, Core i5, 128GB | |
| HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
| HP Pavilion 17-g054ng | |
| Acer Aspire V3-371-58DJ | |
| 1366x768 High Preset AA:FX AF:8x (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| Asus F555LJ-XX110H | |
| HP ProBook 430 G3 P5T00ES | |
| Microsoft Surface Pro 4, Core i5, 128GB | |
| HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
| HP Pavilion 17-g054ng | |
| Acer Aspire V3-371-58DJ | |
| BioShock Infinite | |
| 1280x720 Very Low Preset (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| Asus F555LJ-XX110H | |
| Microsoft Surface Pro 4, Core i5, 128GB | |
| HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
| HP Pavilion 17-g054ng | |
| Acer Aspire V3-371-58DJ | |
| 1366x768 Medium Preset (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| Asus F555LJ-XX110H | |
| Microsoft Surface Pro 4, Core i5, 128GB | |
| HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
| HP Pavilion 17-g054ng | |
| Acer Aspire V3-371-58DJ | |
| 1366x768 High Preset (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| Asus F555LJ-XX110H | |
| Microsoft Surface Pro 4, Core i5, 128GB | |
| HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
| HP Pavilion 17-g054ng | |
| Acer Aspire V3-371-58DJ | |
| Thief | |
| 1024x768 Very Low Preset (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| Asus F555LJ-XX110H | |
| Acer Aspire V3-372-50LK | |
| HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
| HP Pavilion 17-g054ng | |
| Acer Aspire V3-371-58DJ | |
| 1366x768 Normal Preset AA:FX (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| Asus F555LJ-XX110H | |
| Acer Aspire V3-372-50LK | |
| HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
| HP Pavilion 17-g054ng | |
| Acer Aspire V3-371-58DJ | |
| 1366x768 High Preset AA:FXAA & Low SS AF:4x (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| Asus F555LJ-XX110H | |
| Acer Aspire V3-372-50LK | |
| HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
| HP Pavilion 17-g054ng | |
| Acer Aspire V3-371-58DJ | |
| Crysis 3 | |
| 1024x768 Low Preset (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
| HP Pavilion 17-g054ng | |
| Acer Aspire V3-371-58DJ | |
| 1366x768 Medium Preset AF:16x (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
| HP Pavilion 17-g054ng | |
| Acer Aspire V3-371-58DJ | |
| 1366x768 High Preset AA:FX AF:16x (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
| HP Pavilion 17-g054ng | |
| Acer Aspire V3-371-58DJ | |
| Metro: Last Light | |
| 1024x768 Low (DX10) AF:4x (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| Acer Aspire V3-372-50LK | |
| HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
| HP Pavilion 17-g054ng | |
| Acer Aspire V3-371-58DJ | |
| 1366x768 Medium (DX10) AF:4x (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| Acer Aspire V3-372-50LK | |
| HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
| HP Pavilion 17-g054ng | |
| Acer Aspire V3-371-58DJ | |
| 1366x768 High (DX11) AF:16x (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| Acer Aspire V3-372-50LK | |
| HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
| HP Pavilion 17-g054ng | |
| Acer Aspire V3-371-58DJ | |
| Battlefield 4 | |
| 1024x768 Low Preset (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| Acer Aspire V3-372-50LK | |
| HP Pavilion 17-g054ng | |
| Acer Aspire V3-371-58DJ | |
| 1366x768 Medium Preset (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| Acer Aspire V3-372-50LK | |
| HP Pavilion 17-g054ng | |
| Acer Aspire V3-371-58DJ | |
| 1366x768 High Preset (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| Acer Aspire V3-372-50LK | |
| HP Pavilion 17-g054ng | |
| Acer Aspire V3-371-58DJ | |
| Sims 4 | |
| 1024x768 Low Preset (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| Dell Inspiron 17-5758 | |
| HP ProBook 430 G3 P5T00ES | |
| HP Pavilion 17-g054ng | |
| Acer Aspire V3-371-58DJ | |
| 1366x768 Medium Preset (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| Dell Inspiron 17-5758 | |
| HP ProBook 430 G3 P5T00ES | |
| HP Pavilion 17-g054ng | |
| Acer Aspire V3-371-58DJ | |
| 1920x1080 High Preset (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| Dell Inspiron 17-5758 | |
| HP ProBook 430 G3 P5T00ES | |
| HP Pavilion 17-g054ng | |
| Acer Aspire V3-371-58DJ | |
| Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor | |
| 1280x720 Lowest Preset (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| Dell Inspiron 17-5758 | |
| Asus F555LJ-XX110H | |
| Acer Aspire V3-372-50LK | |
| Acer Aspire V3-371-58DJ | |
| 1344x756 Medium Preset (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| Dell Inspiron 17-5758 | |
| Asus F555LJ-XX110H | |
| Acer Aspire V3-372-50LK | |
| Acer Aspire V3-371-58DJ | |
| 1920x1080 High Preset (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| Dell Inspiron 17-5758 | |
| Asus F555LJ-XX110H | |
| Acer Aspire V3-372-50LK | |
| Acer Aspire V3-371-58DJ | |
| Dragon Age: Inquisition | |
| 1024x768 Low Graphics Quality (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| Dell Inspiron 17-5758 | |
| Asus F555LJ-XX110H | |
| HP ProBook 430 G3 P5T00ES | |
| 1366x768 Medium Graphics Quality (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| Dell Inspiron 17-5758 | |
| Asus F555LJ-XX110H | |
| HP ProBook 430 G3 P5T00ES | |
| 1920x1080 High Graphics Quality (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| Dell Inspiron 17-5758 | |
| Asus F555LJ-XX110H | |
| Battlefield Hardline | |
| 1024x768 Low Graphics Quality (DX11) (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| Dell Inspiron 17-5758 | |
| Asus F555LJ-XX110H | |
| HP ProBook 430 G3 P5T00ES | |
| HP Pavilion 17-g054ng | |
| 1366x768 Medium Graphics Quality (DX11) (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| Dell Inspiron 17-5758 | |
| Asus F555LJ-XX110H | |
| HP ProBook 430 G3 P5T00ES | |
| HP Pavilion 17-g054ng | |
| 1920x1080 High Graphics Quality (DX11) (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| Dell Inspiron 17-5758 | |
| Asus F555LJ-XX110H | |
| HP ProBook 430 G3 P5T00ES | |
| HP Pavilion 17-g054ng | |
| Dirt Rally | |
| 1024x768 Ultra Low Preset (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| Dell Inspiron 17-5758 | |
| Asus F555LJ-XX110H | |
| HP ProBook 430 G3 P5T00ES | |
| HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
| HP Pavilion 17-g054ng | |
| 1366x768 Medium Preset (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| Dell Inspiron 17-5758 | |
| Asus F555LJ-XX110H | |
| HP ProBook 430 G3 P5T00ES | |
| HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
| HP Pavilion 17-g054ng | |
| 1920x1080 High Preset (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| Dell Inspiron 17-5758 | |
| Asus F555LJ-XX110H | |
| HP ProBook 430 G3 P5T00ES | |
| HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
| HP Pavilion 17-g054ng | |
| The Witcher 3 | |
| 1024x768 Low Graphics & Postprocessing (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| Dell Inspiron 17-5758 | |
| Asus F555LJ-XX110H | |
| Acer Aspire V3-372-50LK | |
| HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
| HP Pavilion 17-g054ng | |
| 1366x768 Medium Graphics & Postprocessing (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| Dell Inspiron 17-5758 | |
| Asus F555LJ-XX110H | |
| Acer Aspire V3-372-50LK | |
| HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
| HP Pavilion 17-g054ng | |
| 1920x1080 High Graphics & Postprocessing (Nvidia HairWorks Off) (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| Dell Inspiron 17-5758 | |
| Asus F555LJ-XX110H | |
| HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
| HP Pavilion 17-g054ng | |
| Batman: Arkham Knight | |
| 1280x720 Low / Off AF:Trilinear (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| Dell Inspiron 17-5758 | |
| HP Pavilion 17-g054ng | |
| 1366x768 Normal / Off AF:4x (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| Dell Inspiron 17-5758 | |
| HP Pavilion 17-g054ng | |
| 1920x1080 High / On (Interactive Smoke & Paper Debris Off) AA:SM AF:8x (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| Dell Inspiron 17-5758 | |
| Metal Gear Solid V | |
| 1024x768 Low / Off (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| HP ProBook 430 G3 P5T00ES | |
| HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
| 1366x768 Medium / Off (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| HP ProBook 430 G3 P5T00ES | |
| HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
| 1920x1080 High / On (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
| Mad Max | |
| 1366x768 Normal Preset AF:2x (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| Acer Aspire V3-372-50LK | |
| HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
| 1920x1080 High Preset AF:6x (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| Acer Aspire V3-372-50LK | |
| HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
| World of Warships | |
| 1366x768 Low Preset AF:Trilinear (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| HP ProBook 430 G3 P5T00ES | |
| HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
| 1366x768 Medium Preset AF:Trilinear (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| HP ProBook 430 G3 P5T00ES | |
| HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
| 1920x1080 High Preset AF:8x (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| HP ProBook 430 G3 P5T00ES | |
| HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
| FIFA 16 | |
| 1280x720 Low Preset (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| HP ProBook 430 G3 P5T00ES | |
| HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
| 1366x768 High Preset AA:2x MS (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| HP ProBook 430 G3 P5T00ES | |
| HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
| Anno 2205 | |
| 1024x768 Low Preset (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| Acer Aspire V3-372-50LK | |
| HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
| 1366x768 Medium Preset AA:2x (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| Acer Aspire V3-372-50LK | |
| HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
| 1920x1080 High Preset AA:4x (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| Acer Aspire V3-372-50LK | |
| HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
| Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 | |
| 1024x768 Low / Off (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| HP ProBook 430 G3 P5T00ES | |
| HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
| 1366x768 Medium / Off (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| HP ProBook 430 G3 P5T00ES | |
| HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
| Fallout 4 | |
| 1280x720 Low Preset AA:FX (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| HP ProBook 430 G3 P5T00ES | |
| HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
| 1366x768 Medium Preset AA:T AF:16x (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| HP ProBook 430 G3 P5T00ES | |
| HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
| 1920x1080 High Preset AA:T AF:16x (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
| Star Wars Battlefront | |
| 1024x768 Low Preset (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
| 1366x768 Medium Preset AA:FX (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
| 1920x1080 High Preset AA:FX (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
| Assassin's Creed Syndicate | |
| 1024x768 Low Preset AA:FX (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
| 1366x768 Medium Preset AA:FX (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
| Rainbow Six Siege | |
| 1024x768 Low Preset AA:T AF:Linear (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| Acer Aspire V3-372-50LK | |
| HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
| 1366x768 Medium Preset AA:T AF:2x (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| Acer Aspire V3-372-50LK | |
| HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
| 1920x1080 High Preset AA:T AF:4x (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
| Just Cause 3 | |
| 1024x768 Low / Off AF:2x (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
| 1366x768 Medium / Off AF:4x (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
| 1920x1080 High / On AA:FX AF:8x (sort by value) | |
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 | |
| HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
Single-Channel-Benchmarks:
| low | med. | high | ultra | |
| Diablo III (2012) | 51.1 | 38.8 | 32.3 | 20.2 |
| Counter-Strike: GO (2012) | 57.1 | 42.9 | 38 | 23.6 |
| Tomb Raider (2013) | 54.7 | 27.5 | 19.6 | 9.8 |
| BioShock Infinite (2013) | 43.6 | 24.8 | 19.9 | 6.5 |
| Thief (2014) | 13.3 | 8.7 | 8.4 | 4.3 |
Dual-Channel-Benchmarks:
| low | med. | high | ultra | |
| Crysis 3 (2013) | 30.1 | 17.9 | 12.7 | 4.6 |
| Tomb Raider (2013) | 86.5 | 38.5 | 27.8 | 13.4 |
| BioShock Infinite (2013) | 61.9 | 37.7 | 33.1 | 9.2 |
| Metro: Last Light (2013) | 25.2 | 20.9 | 14 | 6.9 |
| Battlefield 4 (2013) | 34.6 | 25.3 | 17.3 | 6.3 |
| Thief (2014) | 15.1 | 11.8 | 10.3 | 5.7 |
| Sims 4 (2014) | 99 | 33.5 | 20.8 | 16.3 |
| Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor (2014) | 33.7 | 20.9 | 9.8 | 7.2 |
| Dragon Age: Inquisition (2014) | 17.2 | 8.9 | 6 | |
| Battlefield Hardline (2015) | 41.7 | 26.4 | 8.9 | 6 |
| Dirt Rally (2015) | 85.7 | 26.6 | 15.2 | 12.5 |
| The Witcher 3 (2015) | 18.1 | 11.9 | 6.2 | |
| Batman: Arkham Knight (2015) | 16 | 15 | 8 | |
| Metal Gear Solid V (2015) | 40.1 | 29.9 | 12 | 8.6 |
| Mad Max (2015) | 20.8 | 10.3 | 9 | |
| World of Warships (2015) | 55.5 | 39.6 | 19.9 | 16.6 |
| FIFA 16 (2015) | 43.1 | 37.6 | 19.3 | |
| Anno 2205 (2015) | 25 | 14.6 | 6.5 | 2.2 |
| Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 (2015) | 24 | 16.4 | ||
| Fallout 4 (2015) | 16.5 | 12.3 | 6.1 | |
| Star Wars Battlefront (2015) | 21.3 | 16.3 | 8.8 | 8 |
| Assassin's Creed Syndicate (2015) | 10.7 | 7.4 | ||
| Rainbow Six Siege (2015) | 38.5 | 23.5 | 13 | 10.1 |
| Just Cause 3 (2015) | 15 | 13.1 | 8.5 | 8.2 |
Emissions
System Noise
Unfortunately, the EliteBook is not always quiet when idle, for example when processing basic routine tasks (green curve), but sometimes activates the fan at a slow speed (blue curve). However, the produced noise is so low that the user will hardly hear it.
The noise level climbs to 35.6 dB(A) in both 3DMark 06 and in our stress test, placing our review sample in the midfield of comparable business laptops. The 745 G3 is unobtrusive even during prolonged full load periods thanks to the not excessively high-pitched characteristic of the fan (peak at approx. 2.5 to 3 kHz).
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 AMD Pro A12-8800B, AMD Radeon R7 (Carrizo) | HP Elitebook 745 G2 AMD A10 Pro-7350B, AMD Radeon R6 (Kaveri) | HP EliteBook 840 G2 Intel Core i5-5200U, Intel HD Graphics 5500 | Dell Latitude E7450 Intel Core i5-5300U, Intel HD Graphics 5500 | Lenovo ThinkPad T450-20BV001VGE Intel Core i5-5200U, Intel HD Graphics 5500 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noise | -1% | 4% | -1% | 1% | |
| Idle Minimum * | 29 | 31.2 -8% | 29.1 -0% | 29.1 -0% | 29.2 -1% |
| Idle Average * | 29 | 31.2 -8% | 29.1 -0% | 29.1 -0% | 29.2 -1% |
| Idle Maximum * | 31.1 | 31.2 -0% | 29.1 6% | 30 4% | 29.2 6% |
| Load Average * | 35.6 | 32.7 8% | 32.2 10% | 36.4 -2% | 34.9 2% |
| Load Maximum * | 35.6 | 35.3 1% | 34.2 4% | 37.8 -6% | 35.1 1% |
* ... smaller is better
Noise Level
| Idle |
| 29 / 29 / 31.1 dB(A) |
| Load |
| 35.6 / 35.6 dB(A) |
 | ||
30 dB silent 40 dB(A) audible 50 dB(A) loud |
||
min:  , med:  , max:  Behringer ECM8000 + Arta (15 cm distance) | ||
Temperature
The already sporadically active fan just when the desktop is idle points to a relatively high idle consumption, which is confirmed when looking at the casing's temperatures. We measure somewhat higher surface temperatures of up to 35 °C (95 °F) than on the competition. However, these rates are not at all critical and it is still possible to use the laptop on the thighs. That is even true, with minor restrictions, during full load where 40 degrees (104 °F) is only surpassed on one point.
Uncritical 55 to 60 °C (131 to 140 °F) are measured on the Carrizo APU in our stress test, but heavy throttling does not set in. The CPU cores are throttled to 1.4 GHz and the GPU to 300 MHz to prevent exceeding the specified TDP - that again proves just how important a progressive manufacturing process is. AMD will deliver 14 nanometer chips for the first time in late 2016, and also promises profound IPC and performance gains.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 39.5 °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 43 °C / 109 F, compared to the average of 36.7 °C / 98 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 29.5 °C / 85 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 28.8 °C / 83.8 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(±) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 27.8 °C / 82 F (-1 °C / -1.8 F).
Speakers
In contrast to other office devices, the EliteBook astonishes with stunningly high-quality speakers that not only offer clear trebles, but also strong mids and impressive volume reserves. The speakers only completely fail in rendering bass, which is not really surprising in view of the missing subwoofer and compact dimensions. That is reflected in a gradual volume decrease below approximately 500 Hz in the amplitude frequency response; frequencies lower than 125 Hz are even faded out completely. As usual, it is possible to connect an external sound system via the jack or DisplayPort (via adapter to HDMI when necessary).
Energy Management
Power Consumption
The high resolution and bright IPS panel takes its toll on power consumption. We measure 6.2 to 14.8 watts in idle, which is almost twice as much as in some rival models. However, the screen is unlikely the only reason for this bad outcome - many Ultrabooks with a similar resolution do not have such a massive excessive consumption.
The load rates of up to 45.2 watts also surprise us - hard work for the included 45-watt power supply. However, the EliteBook settles to approximately 34 watts after a moment and throttling starts. That corresponds to our expectations in view of the installed hardware.
| Off / Standby | 0.7 / 1.2 Watt |
| Idle | 6.2 / 9.4 / 14.8 Watt |
| Load |
44.8 / 45.2 Watt |
   
| |
Battery Runtime
The 46 Wh battery is inside the case and fixed with screws. It has shrunk by 8 percent compared with the predecessor – and struggles with increased consumption rates. Consequently, the runtimes are now somewhat shorter, just seven to seven and a half hours. The user can browse the Internet or render HD videos for three to three and a half hours at medium screen brightness (150 cd/m²) until the battery is depleted. That is unfortunately not really a satisfactory outcome for a high-priced office/business laptop.
| HP EliteBook 745 G3 46 Wh | HP Elitebook 745 G2 50 Wh | HP EliteBook 840 G2 50 Wh | Dell Latitude E7450 54 Wh | Lenovo ThinkPad T450-20BV001VGE 48 Wh | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Runtime | 23% | 86% | 88% | 62% | |
| Reader / Idle | 442 | 562 27% | 961 117% | 714 62% | 935 112% |
| H.264 | 211 | 246 17% | 324 54% | 452 114% | 300 42% |
| WiFi v1.3 | 187 | 422 126% | 422 126% | 324 73% | |
| Load | 76 | 95 25% | 112 47% | 115 51% | 93 22% |
| WiFi | 279 | 459 |
Pros
Cons
Verdict
Only a slim line separates light and shadow in HP's EliteBook 745 G3. For example, the laptop's strengths are found in the high-quality casing, outstanding input devices and excellent screen (that does not have many shortcomings apart from color reproduction). We can also call the application performance solid: Thanks to the SSD, the laptop proves to be highly responsive and shines with short booting and loading times. The Carrizo APU also offers enough reserves for all routine programs, and - when a second memory module is installed - even copes with graphically demanding software and (older) 3D games. However, we have to criticize that the A12-8800B does not quite reach the level of a current Core i3 at least on the CPU side.
We have to reproach HP's decision of axing both the convenient maintenance hatch and half the USB ports. The additional USB Type C port might be forward-looking, but it presently cannot completely compensate for this loss. The shorter battery life and disappointing webcam - regrettably a cross-manufacturer annoyance - does not look very good in a professional laptop priced far above 1000 Euros (~$1080).
The saying: "You get what you pay for" ultimately is once again true here. The lower price compared with the EliteBook 800 lineup based on similar equipment, as well as devices from other manufacturers, certainly has its reasons. That, however, does not at all make the 743 G3 a bad laptop.
HP EliteBook 745 G3
-
02/26/2016 v5(old)
Till Schönborn
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