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MagyarHP EliteBook Dragonfly Max Convertible Review: Sure View Has Its Ups And Downs ↺
After launching the first generation Elite Dragonfly G1 in early 2020, HP is now readying its second generation models with 11th gen Intel Tiger Lake-U for 2021. The two new models are the Dragonfly G2 and even higher-end Dragonfly Max packed with more features and performance than on the original G1 model. The main differences between them are summarized in the table below, but they all otherwise share similar chassis designs and dimensions.
| Elite Dragonfly G1 | Elite Dragonfly G2 | Elite Dragonfly Max |
|---|---|---|
| Intel 8th gen Whiskey Lake-U 720p (1.2 MP) webcam Up to 16 GB LPDDR3 RAM 4G connectivity | Intel 11th gen Tiger Lake-U Up to 32 GB LPDDR4 VRAM HP Context Aware AI noise reduction 5G connectivity option HP Tamper Lock | Includes all Dragonfly G2 features plus: Higher resolution 5 MP webcam 4th world-facing mic New Sparkling Black color HP Eye Ease (low blue light) 4-cell battery HP Sure View HP Sure Recover with Embedded Reimaging |
| Q1 2020 | Q2 2021 | Q2 2021 |
Our test unit has been fully configured with the Core i7-1185G7 CPU, 16 GB RAM, 1000-nit Gorilla Glass 5 Sure View touchscreen, Snapdragon X55 5G LTE, and 512 GB PCIe SSD for about $2500 USD. Other options include the Core i7-1165G7, 32 GB RAM, or no WWAN broadband.
It's worth noting that there are no Iris Xe Max discrete GPU options despite what the model name may suggest. All SKUs at the moment come with integrated Iris Xe graphics across the board. The "Max" in this case is to differentiate the configuration from the lesser Dragonfly G2.
Alternatives to the HP EliteBook Dragonfly Max include other 13.3-inch business laptops like the Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Yoga G2, MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo, Asus ZenBook Flip S UX371, or the 14-inch Dell Latitude 14 9410.
More HP reviews:
potential competitors in comparison
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Height | Size | Resolution | Best Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 90.8 % | 06/2021 | HP Elite Dragonfly Max i7-1185G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs | 1.2 kg | 16 mm | 13.30" | 1920x1080 | |
| 87.3 % | 05/2021 | HP Spectre x360 13-aw2003dx i5-1135G7, Iris Xe G7 80EUs | 1.2 kg | 16.9 mm | 13.30" | 3840x2160 | |
| 91.1 % | 06/2021 | Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Yoga G2 i7-1165G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs | 1.2 kg | 15.39 mm | 13.30" | 2560x1600 | |
| 86.9 % | 04/2021 | MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo A11MT i7-1185G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs | 1.4 kg | 14.9 mm | 13.40" | 1920x1200 | |
| 86.3 % | 09/2020 | Asus ZenBook Flip S UX371 i7-1165G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs | 1.2 kg | 13.9 mm | 13.30" | 3840x2160 | |
| 90.3 % | 04/2020 | HP Elite Dragonfly-8MK79EA i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620 | 1.1 kg | 16.1 mm | 13.30" | 1920x1080 |
Case: A Professional Spectre
The MIL-STD 810H certified magnesium skeleton is similar to the original Dragonfly but with a few superficial differences. Firstly, HP has added a sparkling black finish which slightly roughens the texture compared to the super-smooth metal of the original. Secondly, more of the mechanical and metal parts have been sourced from recycled materials for sustainability purposes. Chassis rigidity remains excellent with no creaking and very little warping. The center of the outer lid flexes most to applied pressure, but we don't find it to be of any concern.
When compared to HP's other high-end 13.3-inch convertible, the Dragonfly Max doesn't necessarily feel any stronger or weaker in terms of quality. Instead, it's the visual style that separates the two laptops. The all-matte Dragonfly design is arguably a better fit for professional environments than the flashy gold-trimmed Spectre.
Much like the original Dragonfly, the Dragonfly Max continues to be one of the smallest and most portable 13.3-inch business Ultrabooks in the market. The competing Dynabook Portégé X30W-J is even lighter by over 200 grams, but it lacks the optional WAN and 5G features of our Dragonfly Max.
Connectivity: Now With Thunderbolt 4
Port options are identical to the 2020 Dragonfly but with two important upgrades: the Thunderbolt 3 and HDMI 1.4 ports are now Thunderbolt 4 and HDMI 2.0, respectively. The latter update is particularly important as it allows users to connect 4K60 external monitors. For future models, we hope to see USB-C ports along both the left and right edges of the laptop much like on the Razer Blade Stealth for easier charging.
There is no SD card reader as HP wants to push QuickDrop instead.
Communication
An Intel AX201 comes standard for Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity. If configured with 5G, the unit will come with a Qualcomm Snapdragon X55 with support for SIM and even eSIM. All supported 5G bands can be found on Qualcomm's product page for the modem. HP offers the option between AT&T or Verizon, but T-Mobile will also work.
| Networking | |
| iperf3 Client (transmit) 1 m 4M x10 Netgear AX12 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Yoga G2 | |
| HP Elite Dragonfly-8MK79EA | |
| HP Elite Dragonfly Max | |
| HP Spectre x360 13-aw2003dx | |
| Asus ZenBook Flip S UX371 | |
| MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo A11MT | |
| iperf3 Client (receive) 1 m 4M x10 Netgear AX12 | |
| HP Elite Dragonfly-8MK79EA | |
| HP Spectre x360 13-aw2003dx | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Yoga G2 | |
| HP Elite Dragonfly Max | |
| Asus ZenBook Flip S UX371 | |
| MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo A11MT | |
Webcam
The Dragonfly Max is unique in that it's one of the first 13.3-inch laptops to ship with a 5 MP webcam instead of the usual 1 MP or 2 MP sensor. Users can take pictures at resolutions of up to 2560 x 1920 or record video at up to 1440p and 30 FPS. Though picture quality is noticeably sharper, the camera still suffers from the same issues as most other laptop webcams including poor performance at low-light conditions, poor colors, and no 60 FPS recording option.
Security
The additional security features help differentiate the EliteBook series from the Spectre series. The Dragonfly Max Comes with Automatic DriveLock, fingerprint reader, IR, webcam shutter, Secure Erase, TPM 2.0 and vPro, Sure Click, Sure Start, BIOSphere, Sure View, Sure Sense, and more with many that are exclusive to the Elitebook family.
Maintenance
The bottom panel is secured by five easily accessible T5 Torx screws with none hidden underneath the rubber feet. Users can service the battery, WLAN, WWAN, and M.2 2280 SSD while the RAM modules are soldered.
Accessories and Warranty
The retail box includes no extras beyond the AC adapter and paperwork. A carrying case or stylus would have been nice add-ons.
A 3-year limited manufacturer warranty comes standard compared to just one year on consumer-level laptops like the Spectre or Envy series.
Input Devices: One of the Best Keyboards on a Convertible
Keyboard
key feedback is sharper, deeper, and firmer than on most other Ultrabooks where the keys are typically shallower and spongier. Clatter is moderately loud, however, but the slight increase in noise is well worth the more comfortable typing experience.
Key layout has changed from the 2020 version to be more in line with the latest Envy laptops. Most notably, HP has removed the Calendar key for a much more useful Programmable or user-customizable key.
Touchpad
The Precision clickpad is larger than the one on the latest Spectre x360 13 (11 x 6.5 cm vs. 11.1 x 5.6 cm). Traction is smooth and with just very little sticking when gliding at slow speeds. We find feedback to be softer and quieter than on the Spectre x360 13 when clicking, but it's not overly soft to be considered too spongy.
Display: Sure View has its Downsides
Interestingly, the Dragonfly Max uses an InfoVision IPS panel instead of the AU Optronics one as found on the original Dragonfly. HP says the low blue light filter for reducing eyestrain is exclusive to the Dragonfly Max similar to what Dell offers for some of its XPS laptops. Innate characteristics like response times, contrast ratio, and color coverage are otherwise nearly identical between the Dragonfly Max and original Dragonfly.
Image quality leaves a lot to be desired. While glossy displays are normally known for offering sharp texts and images, the Dragonfly Max incorporates an additional Sure View layer to limit viewing angles for privacy concerns. This layer has an unfortunate side effect of blurring the underlying pixels for blurrier texts and images. Its impact on display quality isn't minor either as we can immediately see how much cleaner and crisper competing laptops like the Dell XPS 13 can be. Even the glossy Sure View-free Spectre x360 13 can provide a much cleaner image than what our Dragonfly Max is capable of.
Keep in mind that the advertised 1000-nit brightness of our test unit is the official rating for the backlight before factoring in the Sure View layer, RGB layer, and Gorilla Glass overlay. Actual brightness is closer to the 700-nit to 800-nit range as a result when Sure View is off. Enabling Sure View will drop display brightness even further.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 75 %
Center on Battery: 777.5 cd/m²
Contrast: 1767:1 (Black: 0.44 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 1.62 | 0.59-29.43 Ø5.4, calibrated: 1.32
ΔE Greyscale 1.6 | 0.64-98 Ø5.6
94.8% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
72.3% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
Gamma: 2.2
| HP Elite Dragonfly Max InfoVision X133NVFL R0, IPS, 13.30, 1920x1080 | HP Spectre x360 13-aw2003dx Samsung SDC4149, OLED, 13.30, 3840x2160 | Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Yoga G2 LP133WQ1-SPF2, IPS LED, 13.30, 2560x1600 | MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo A11MT Sharp LQ134N1JW53, IPS, 13.40, 1920x1200 | Asus ZenBook Flip S UX371 SDC4147, OLED, 13.30, 3840x2160 | HP Elite Dragonfly-8MK79EA AUO5E2D, IPS, 13.30, 1920x1080 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display | ||||||
| Display P3 Coverage | 70 | 68.3 | 69.8 | 99.9 | 69 | |
| sRGB Coverage | 88.5 | 99.1 | 98.8 | 100 | 99.4 | |
| AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 81.2 | 70.3 | 70.6 | 100 | 70.9 | |
| Response Times | 93% | -8% | -41% | 94% | -21% | |
| Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 44.8 ? | 2.8 ? 94% | 52 ? -16% | 64 ? -43% | 2 ? 96% | 60.8 ? -36% |
| Response Time Black / White * | 32 ? | 2.8 ? 91% | 32 ? -0% | 44 ? -38% | 2.8 ? 91% | 33.8 ? -6% |
| PWM Frequency | 242.7 ? | 59.5 ? | ||||
| Screen | -96% | 9% | 0% | -30% | -4% | |
| Brightness middle | 777.5 | 355 -54% | 460 -41% | 551.3 -29% | 365 -53% | 411 -47% |
| Brightness | 727 | 368 -49% | 423 -42% | 517 -29% | 372 -49% | 388 -47% |
| Brightness Distribution | 75 | 93 24% | 85 13% | 91 21% | 91 21% | 87 16% |
| Black Level * | 0.44 | 0.33 25% | 0.37 16% | 0.03 93% | 0.22 50% | |
| Contrast | 1767 | 1394 -21% | 1490 -16% | 12167 589% | 1868 6% | |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 1.62 | 5.74 -254% | 1 38% | 1.45 10% | 7.6 -369% | 1.8 -11% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 5.26 | 9.52 -81% | 1.5 71% | 2.86 46% | 12.9 -145% | 4.1 22% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated * | 1.32 | 6.69 -407% | 0.8 39% | 1.7 -29% | 4.1 -211% | 1 24% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 1.6 | 2.2 -38% | 1.2 25% | 1.3 19% | 5.4 -238% | 2.5 -56% |
| Gamma | 2.2 100% | 2.03 108% | 2.26 97% | 2.14 103% | 1.6 138% | 2.26 97% |
| CCT | 6538 99% | 6505 100% | 6652 98% | 6580 99% | 6327 103% | 6448 101% |
| Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998) | 72.3 | 73.6 2% | 64.4 -11% | 65 -10% | 92 27% | 64.7 -11% |
| Color Space (Percent of sRGB) | 94.8 | 88.6 -7% | 99.12 5% | 99 4% | 100 5% | 99.3 5% |
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | -2% /
-62% | 1% /
7% | -21% /
-6% | 32% /
-11% | -13% /
-7% |
* ... smaller is better
Color space covers essentially all of sRGB to be in line with most mid-range to high-end Ultrabooks. For AdobeRGB or DCI-P3, users will have to consider the Spectre or Envy series instead as the Dragonfly is lacking these options.
The display is well-calibrated out of the box with very low average deltaE values and a nearly perfect gamma of 2.198 in spite of our Sure View comments above. End-user calibration is not necessary as any changes would be minimal as shown by our CalMan results below.
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 32 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 18.8 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 13.2 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.8 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 81 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (23.4 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 44.8 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 20.4 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 24.4 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.692 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 69 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (37 ms). | ||
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM not detected |  | ||
In comparison: 52 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 21940 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured. | |||
Viewing angles and outdoor visibility are not as good as we had hoped despite the bright backlight. The Sure View filter impacts viewing angles so strongly that even the main user might have a hard time seeing everything on the display clearly. Not only is glare very noticeable, but everything becomes white and illegible if the screen is turned by just a slight angle. You'd be better off with a 400-nit or 500-nit display without Sure View than a 1000-nit display with Sure View if outdoor visibility is a concern.
Performance: 11th Gen Tiger Lake with iris Xe
All SKUs come with either the Core i7-1165G7 or Core i7-1185G7 vPro and nothing less. High-end HP laptops like the Dragonfly continue to support Intel CPUs only; for AMD Ryzen options, users will have to look at lesser Envy or clamshell EliteBook models instead.
Our unit was set to Best Performance mode prior to running any performance benchmarks below for the highest possible scores. The system comes with HP Context Aware which will automatically reduce performance if the laptop is not on a flat table. HP says this feature will be disabled if the Windows performance slider is set to Best Performance.
Processor
Raw multi-thread performance is below average with CineBench xT scores that are 30 percent slower than the average laptop with the same Core i7-1185G7 CPU. It's still a significant leap over the older Whiskey Lake-U options on last year's Dragonfly, but it's not as big of a difference as it could have been.
Single-thread performance remains excellent and faster than most other U-series laptops as per usual for Intel CPUs.
Cinebench R23: CPU (Multi Core) | CPU (Single Core)
Cinebench R15: CPU Multi 64Bit | CPU Single 64Bit
Blender 2.79: BMW27 CPU
7-Zip 18.03: 7z b 4 -mmt1 | 7z b 4
Geekbench 5.3: 64 Bit Single-Core Score | 64 Bit Multi-Core Score
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2: 4k Preset
LibreOffice : 20 Documents To PDF
R Benchmark 2.5: Overall mean
| Cinebench R23 / CPU (Multi Core) | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05 82LM005YGE | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1185G7 (3610 - 6383, n=21) | |
| HP Spectre x360 13-aw2003dx | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Yoga G2 | |
| HP Elite Dragonfly Max | |
| Cinebench R23 / CPU (Single Core) | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1185G7 (1251 - 1532, n=21) | |
| HP Elite Dragonfly Max | |
| HP Spectre x360 13-aw2003dx | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Yoga G2 | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05 82LM005YGE | |
* ... smaller is better
System Performance
PCMark scores are consistently ahead of last year's Dragonfly model especially in Digital Content Creation where the more powerful Iris Xe GPU can make the most difference.
We experienced no software or hardware issues during our time with the test unit. However, expect a lot of popups during the first few days of use from the various pre-installed HP applications.
| PCMark 10 Score | 4932 points | |
Help | ||
DPC Latency
LatencyMon shows DPC latency issues when opening multiple browser tabs on our homepage. 4K video playback at 60 FPS is otherwise smooth and with no dropped frames.
| DPC Latencies / LatencyMon - interrupt to process latency (max), Web, Youtube, Prime95 | |
| HP Elite Dragonfly Max | |
| MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo A11MT | |
| HP Spectre x360 13-aw2003dx | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Yoga G2 | |
| Asus ZenBook Flip S UX371 | |
* ... smaller is better
Storage Devices
Our unit comes with a 512 GB Toshiba XG6 NVMe SSD which is the lowest option available. Users may configure up to 2 TB or simply upgrade themselves. HP isn't offering any Optane options unlike on most Spectre laptops.
Transfer rates are excellent at almost 2500 MB/s sequential write and 3300 MB/s sequential read compared to just half that or slower on the 512 GB Intel SSD 660p, Samsung PM991, or SK Hynix BC511. However, there's no guarantee that all Dragonfly SKUs will come with Toshiba XG6 NVMe SSDs.
| HP Elite Dragonfly Max Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G | HP Envy 13-ba1475ng Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8 | Dell XPS 13 9305 Core i5 FHD Samsung PM9A1 MZVL2512HCJQ | Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 13 i7 Samsung PM991 MZ9LQ512HALU | Dell Latitude 5310-GXX0D SK Hynix BC511 HFM512GDJTNI | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AS SSD | -22% | 15% | -24% | -14% | |
| Seq Read | 2700 | 1608 -40% | 2629 -3% | 1821 -33% | 1975 -27% |
| Seq Write | 1483 | 659 -56% | 1270 -14% | 794 -46% | 1002 -32% |
| 4K Read | 48.73 | 51.3 5% | 65.2 34% | 47.54 -2% | 51.8 6% |
| 4K Write | 126.4 | 151.8 20% | 182.5 44% | 141.6 12% | 121.7 -4% |
| 4K-64 Read | 819 | 322.1 -61% | 1032 26% | 782 -5% | 806 -2% |
| 4K-64 Write | 1252 | 800 -36% | 1257 0% | 766 -39% | 780 -38% |
| Access Time Read * | 0.066 | 0.077 -17% | 0.07 -6% | 0.191 -189% | 0.04 39% |
| Access Time Write * | 0.093 | 0.046 51% | 0.023 75% | 0.027 71% | 0.031 67% |
| Score Read | 1138 | 534 -53% | 1360 20% | 1012 -11% | 1055 -7% |
| Score Write | 1527 | 1018 -33% | 1567 3% | 987 -35% | 1002 -34% |
| Score Total | 3197 | 1797 -44% | 3573 12% | 2477 -23% | 2562 -20% |
| Copy ISO MB/s | 1927 | 961 -50% | 1430 -26% | 1243 -35% | 742 -61% |
| Copy Program MB/s | 573 | 753 31% | 782 36% | 628 10% | 389.9 -32% |
| Copy Game MB/s | 1145 | 896 -22% | 1177 3% | 976 -15% | 556 -51% |
| CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6 | -14% | -2% | -20% | -5% | |
| Write 4K | 99 | 133.5 35% | 136.9 38% | 118.2 19% | 145.5 47% |
| Read 4K | 52.3 | 39.66 -24% | 47.34 -9% | 37.54 -28% | 48.83 -7% |
| Write Seq | 1765 | 907 -49% | 1150 -35% | 1017 -42% | 1067 -40% |
| Read Seq | 2065 | 1481 -28% | 2052 -1% | 926 -55% | 1133 -45% |
| Write 4K Q32T1 | 291.7 | 446.2 53% | 433 48% | 354.2 21% | 420.3 44% |
| Read 4K Q32T1 | 314 | 335.1 7% | 293 -7% | 352.6 12% | 462.6 47% |
| Write Seq Q32T1 | 2549 | 975 -62% | 1148 -55% | 1174 -54% | 1077 -58% |
| Read Seq Q32T1 | 3282 | 1874 -43% | 3427 4% | 2261 -31% | 2302 -30% |
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | -18% /
-19% | 7% /
9% | -22% /
-23% | -10% /
-11% |
* ... smaller is better
Disk Throttling: DiskSpd Read Loop, Queue Depth 8
GPU Performance
Graphics performance is disappointing with 3DMark results that are 20 to 27 percent slower than the average laptop in our database equipped with the same Iris Xe 96 EUs GPU. Furthermore, frame rates may fluctuate when gaming due to the fluctuating clock rates when under high processing stress. The Dragonfly Max isn't a gaming machine, however, so the below-average Iris Xe performance isn't a huge issue. Users upgrading from older UHD Graphics 620 or even Iris Plus will still see noticeable improvements.
| 3DMark 11 Performance | 4639 points | |
| 3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score | 12813 points | |
| 3DMark Fire Strike Score | 3149 points | |
| 3DMark Time Spy Score | 1260 points | |
Help | ||
| Final Fantasy XV Benchmark | |
| 1280x720 Lite Quality | |
| MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo A11MT | |
| HP Spectre x360 13-aw2003dx | |
| Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs (17.2 - 56.5, n=73) | |
| Dell XPS 13 9310 OLED | |
| HP Elite Dragonfly Max | |
| 1920x1080 Standard Quality | |
| MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo A11MT | |
| Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs (12.2 - 27.6, n=70) | |
| HP Spectre x360 13-aw2003dx | |
| Dell XPS 13 9310 OLED | |
| HP Elite Dragonfly Max | |
| 1920x1080 High Quality | |
| HP Spectre x360 13-aw2003dx | |
| MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo A11MT | |
| Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs (9.8 - 27.6, n=66) | |
| Dell XPS 13 9310 OLED | |
| HP Elite Dragonfly Max | |