HP ProBook 430 G2 Notebook Review Update
For the original German review, see here.
The ProBook 430 G2 is a member of the entry level among business laptops. It is not only to attract professional users but also private consumers. We tested the ProBook 430 G1 over a year ago. Now we have an updated version at hand. Both ProBook models basically feature an identical build. However, the ProBook 430 G2 has undergone minor superficial modifications. Our review sample shows whether or not the ProBook is appealing.
The ProBook does not have many direct contenders because only a few manufacturers have affordable, 13.3-inch business laptops in their lineup. Examples would be Dell's Latitude 3340 and Asus' ASUSPRO Essential PU301LA. Lenovo also provides competition with its ThinkPad Edge E330 and ThinkPad Edge E335 lines. These models are, however, no longer available and successors are not yet in sight. Acer's latest Aspire V3-371 series could also be considered as a rival of the ProBook. Although they are primarily aimed at private customers, their matte screen and very good battery life will likely appeal to professional users, as well. We have tested many models from this range. Acer's Aspire V3-371-38ZG stands out as the most interesting contender owing to its Iris Graphics 5100 core.
Since both ProBook models are largely identical, we will not go in-depth about casing, connectivity, input devices or speakers. The corresponding information can be found in the review of the ProBook 430 G1.
Case & Connectivity
As mentioned earlier, HP has slightly modified the ProBook 430 G2's exterior compared with the ProBook 430 G1. These modifications are found in the touchpad. The mouse buttons are now rounded on one side and the recess below the mouse keys has been omitted. Another modification is found in the right-hand interfaces. The dedicated headphone and microphone jacks of the ProBook 430 G1 have disappeared and have been replaced by a combo jack in the ProBook 430 G2.
Display
The ProBook sports a matte, 13.3-inch screen with a native resolution of 1366x768 pixels. HP apparently believes that the laptop will exclusively be used in low-light conditions. The low brightness of 172 cd/m² cannot be explained otherwise. The screen should have considerably more to offer in view of the target group and HP's price design. We deem a brightness of 250 cd/m² as the absolute minimum. HP has actually managed to worsen the brightness of the screen installed in the ProBook 430 G1 (201.9 cd/m²) even more. The screens in both Dell's Latitude 3340 (211.1 cd/m²) and Asus' ASUSPRO Essential PU301LA-RO064G (235.1 cd/m²) score a bit better.
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Brightness Distribution: 88 %
Center on Battery: 176 cd/m²
Contrast: 143:1 (Black: 1.22 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 12.1 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.92
ΔE Greyscale 13.66 | 0.5-98 Ø5.2
33.3% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
35.95% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
52.4% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
34.79% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.11
| HP Probook 430 G2 HD Graphics 4400, 4210U, Samsung SSD 840 PRO MZ7PD128HCFV-000H1 | HP ProBook 430-G1 HD Graphics 4400, 4200U, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E380 | Dell Latitude 13 3340 Education Series HD Graphics 4400, 4200U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive | Asus ASUSPRO Essential PU301LA-RO064G HD Graphics 4400, 4500U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050 | Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE | Fujitsu Lifebook E544 HD Graphics 4600, 4210M, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive | Lenovo ThinkPad L440 20AT004QGE HD Graphics 4600, 4300M, Intel SSD 520 Series SSDSC2BW180A3L | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display | 13% | 26% | 21% | 24% | 17% | 15% | |
| Display P3 Coverage | 34.79 | 39.15 13% | 43.98 26% | 42.06 21% | 43.23 24% | 40.58 17% | 40.23 16% |
| sRGB Coverage | 52.4 | 58.5 12% | 65.9 26% | 62.8 20% | 64.8 24% | 60.6 16% | 59.6 14% |
| AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 35.95 | 40.52 13% | 45.47 26% | 43.5 21% | 44.7 24% | 42 17% | 41.68 16% |
| Screen | 20% | 25% | 16% | 48% | 42% | 23% | |
| Brightness middle | 175 | 228 30% | 232 33% | 247 41% | 230 31% | 252 44% | 259 48% |
| Brightness | 172 | 202 17% | 211 23% | 235 37% | 220 28% | 255 48% | 233 35% |
| Brightness Distribution | 88 | 72 -18% | 85 -3% | 87 -1% | 91 3% | 67 -24% | 81 -8% |
| Black Level * | 1.22 | 1.029 16% | 0.94 23% | 1.37 -12% | 0.56 54% | 0.696 43% | 1.3 -7% |
| Contrast | 143 | 222 55% | 247 73% | 180 26% | 411 187% | 362 153% | 199 39% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 12.1 | 9.81 19% | 10.35 14% | 12.04 -0% | 8.4 31% | 9.1 25% | 11.83 2% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 13.66 | 9.94 27% | 11.79 14% | 11.75 14% | 9.95 27% | 9.44 31% | 6.24 54% |
| Gamma | 2.11 104% | 2.33 94% | 2.38 92% | 2.87 77% | 2.19 100% | 2.56 86% | 2.3 96% |
| CCT | 14498 45% | 11631 56% | 14957 43% | 13613 48% | 10109 64% | 10890 60% | 5429 120% |
| Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998) | 33.3 | 37.5 13% | 42 26% | 40 20% | 41 23% | 38.6 16% | 40 20% |
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | 17% /
18% | 26% /
26% | 19% /
17% | 36% /
41% | 30% /
35% | 19% /
21% |
* ... smaller is better
The contrast (143:1) and black level (1.22 cd/m²) are also disappointing. The screen should have a contrast of at least 500:1. HP's choice of screen seemingly wants to dissuade potential buyers from purchasing the laptop and virtually sends them to the competition. Neither Dell's Latitude 3340 (247:1; 0.94 cd/m²) nor Asus' ASUSPRO Essential PU301LA-RO064G (180:1; 1.37 cd/m²) will really come into question with their screens. The ProBook's screen cannot reproduce either the sRGB or AdobeRGB color spaces. The coverage rates are 48% (sRGB) and 33.3% (AdobeRGB).
Besides the contrast and brightness, the screen's color reproduction is not satisfactory. The average DeltaE 2000 shift in state of delivery is approximately 12.1. The target should be a rate less than 3. Furthermore, the screen exhibits a bluish cast. We discovered that calibration could improve the screen's color reproduction massively. The DeltaE 2000 shift dropped to 3.45, which is very close to the target range. The bluish cast also disappeared completely.
The ProBook sports a TN screen, which means the screen can only offer limited viewing angles. Changing the vertical viewing angle quickly leads to image distortions. It is more generous horizontally, and even several people can look at the screen simultaneously. It is quite possible to use the ProBook outdoors, but it should not be an overly bright day. The screen's low brightness and poor contrast would thwart any such intentions otherwise.
Performance
The ProBook 430 G2 is a member of the entry level among business laptops. The device is aimed at private and professional users alike. The laptop's computing power is more than sufficient for routine use. Additionally, the laptop offers typical business features, such as a Trusted Platform module and a fingerprint scanner. The laptop is also available with a 3G/LTE modem. HP offers multiple configurations of its ProBook. The currently cheapest member of the lineup (model: FN65AV) largely features the same configuration as our review sample. However, a 500 GB hybrid hard drive is installed instead of an SSD. A Windows operating system is not part of the delivery. The price is approximately 499 Euros (~$607).
Processor
The dual-core Core i5-4210U processor installed in the ProBook 430 G2 is a slightly higher-clocked version of the Core i5-4200U installed in the ProBook 430 G1. The single clock levels are 100 MHz higher. Thus, the Core i5-4210U operates with a base speed of 1.7 GHz, which can be increased to 2.4 GHz (both cores) and 2.7 GHz (one core) via Turbo. The slightly higher speed compared with the Core i5-4200U is not noticed in practice. The ProBook does not use the processor's Turbo in battery mode. The CPU tests of the Cinebench benchmarks were performed with a consistent 1.7 GHz. All Turbo levels were maxed out in AC mode.
| Cinebench R10 | |
| Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit (sort by value) | |
| HP Probook 430 G2 | |
| HP ProBook 430-G1 | |
| Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG | |
| Fujitsu Lifebook E544 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L440 20AT004QGE | |
| Rendering Single 32Bit (sort by value) | |
| HP Probook 430 G2 | |
| HP ProBook 430-G1 | |
| Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG | |
| Fujitsu Lifebook E544 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L440 20AT004QGE | |
| Geekbench 3 | |
| 32 Bit Single-Core Score (sort by value) | |
| HP Probook 430 G2 | |
| Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG | |
| 32 Bit Multi-Core Score (sort by value) | |
| HP Probook 430 G2 | |
| Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG | |
| Sunspider - 1.0 Total Score (sort by value) | |
| HP Probook 430 G2 | |
| Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG | |
| Fujitsu Lifebook E544 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L440 20AT004QGE | |
| Octane V2 - Total Score (sort by value) | |
| HP Probook 430 G2 | |
| Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG | |
| Fujitsu Lifebook E544 | |
| Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total (sort by value) | |
| HP Probook 430 G2 | |
| Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG | |
| Fujitsu Lifebook E544 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L440 20AT004QGE | |
| Peacekeeper - --- (sort by value) | |
| HP Probook 430 G2 | |
| Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG | |
* ... smaller is better
System Performance
Problems with the system performance are not expected from a laptop equipped with a swift solid state drive and Core i5 processor. The laptop does not disappoint here. The system responds swiftly and Windows is booted quickly. The ProBook 430 G2 scored considerably better than the ProBook 430 G1 in the PCMark 7 benchmark, which is owed to the SSD in the ProBook 430 G2. It strongly influences the result. The ProBook 430 G1 "only" sports a conventional hard drive.
The PCMark 8 benchmark scores are throughout good. We ran two different versions of PCMark 8 on the ProBook 430 G2. Futuremark (benchmark developer) has modified version 2. A comparison of the scores from version 1 and version 2 is not possible. We supply the results of both benchmarks for comparing the ProBook 430 G1 with current contenders. The ProBook 430 G2 then scores considerably better than the ProBook 430 G1. It again benefits from its SSD.
| PCMark 7 Score | 4556 points | |
| PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated | 3084 points | |
| PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2 | 2391 points | |
| PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated | 2945 points | |
| PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2 | 2495 points | |
| PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated | 4782 points | |
| PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2 | 3599 points | |
Help | ||
| PCMark 8 | |
| Work Score Accelerated v2 (sort by value) | |
| HP Probook 430 G2 | |
| Dell Latitude 13 3340 Education Series | |
| Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG | |
| Fujitsu Lifebook E544 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L440 20AT004QGE | |
| Work Score Accelerated (sort by value) | |
| HP Probook 430 G2 | |
| HP ProBook 430-G1 | |
Storage Devices
The ProBook 430 G2 sports a solid state drive from Samsung. It is a model in the standard 2.5-inch format. The SSD has a capacity of 128 GB. The owner only has roughly 80 GB of that available. The recovery partition and Windows installation reserves the remaining storage capacity. The SSD achieves overall good to very good transfer rates. It does not exhibit any major shortcomings. However, there are currently even somewhat faster SSDs available, particularly among models with a higher capacity.
| HP Probook 430 G2 HD Graphics 4400, 4210U, Samsung SSD 840 PRO MZ7PD128HCFV-000H1 | Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE | Lenovo ThinkPad L440 20AT004QGE HD Graphics 4600, 4300M, Intel SSD 520 Series SSDSC2BW180A3L | Bullman C-Klasse S i7 15FHD Dirtbook HD Graphics 4600, 4810MQ, Samsung SSD 840 EVO 250GB | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AS SSD | -31% | -95% | 21% | |
| Seq Read | 517 | 508 -2% | 469.9 -9% | 506 -2% |
| Seq Write | 323.5 | 285.2 -12% | 174.6 -46% | 496.6 54% |
| 4K Read | 33.3 | 25.1 -25% | 23.46 -30% | 39.16 18% |
| 4K Write | 85.4 | 61.2 -28% | 74.1 -13% | 120 41% |
| 4K-64 Read | 370.2 | 156.7 -58% | 221.3 -40% | 335.2 -9% |
| 4K-64 Write | 215.3 | 136.3 -37% | 166 -23% | 231.3 7% |
| Access Time Read * | 0.083 | 0.116 -40% | 0.178 -114% | 0.06 28% |
| Access Time Write * | 0.04 | 0.057 -43% | 0.235 -488% | 0.029 27% |
* ... smaller is better
Graphics Card
Like in the ProBook 430 G1 and the countless other laptops we have tested, Intel's HD Graphics 4400 GPU is responsible for graphics output in the ProBook 430 G2. The core supports DirectX 11.1 and achieves speeds of up to 1 GHz. The 3DMark benchmark scores are as expected and are on par with those of the ProBook 430 G1. The graphics performance of both ProBooks can be increased a bit by installing a second working memory module. The memory then operates in dual-channel mode and makes better use of the GPU. The effect becomes considerably more evident in computer games than in the 3DMark benchmarks.
| 3DMark 06 Standard Score | 4252 points | |
| 3DMark 11 Performance | 781 points | |
| 3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score | 36498 points | |
| 3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score | 3928 points | |
| 3DMark Fire Strike Score | 484 points | |
Help | ||
Gaming Performance
HP's engineers unlikely focused on the ability to render games when designing the ProBook. Nevertheless, it is possible to play many games in a low resolution and with low quality settings. Users who want to play an occasional game should, however, install a second working memory in the laptop. That automatically enables dual-channel mode, which leads to higher frame rates.
| low | med. | high | ultra | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tomb Raider (2013) | 34.5 | 18.1 | 10.7 | 5.9 |
| BioShock Infinite (2013) | 25.8 | 13.6 | 11.3 | 3.9 |
| Thief (2014) | 12.3 | 7.5 | 6.2 |
Emissions
System Noise
Only little if anything at all is heard from the ProBook 430 G2 in normal, everyday use. The fan is often idle and only spins at a low speed when it is active. It is audible in quiet surroundings. The fan does not speed up excessively even when the laptop is fully loaded. We measured a noise level of 35.8 dB during the stress test - a very moderate rate. Unfortunately, the fan belongs to those models that produce other sounds besides its usual operating noise. In this case, it is a whistle that becomes more audible the faster the fan spins. Basically, the ProBook 430 G2 is also on par with the ProBook 430 G1 in terms of noise emissions.
Noise Level
| Idle |
| 31.1 / 31.1 / 31.5 dB(A) |
| HDD |
| 34 dB(A) |
| Load |
| 35.8 / 35.8 dB(A) |
 | ||
30 dB silent 40 dB(A) audible 50 dB(A) loud |
||
min:  , med:  , max:  Voltcraft sl-451 (15 cm distance) | ||
Temperature
The casing's temperatures are very moderate over the entire load range. 40 °C was only surpassed on one measuring point in the area of the heat sink - just like in the ProBook 430 G1. The casing's low temperatures are owed to the slow operating speeds of the CPU and GPU. The CPU performed the stress test (Prime95 and Furmark run for at least one hour) with 1 to 1.1 GHz. The graphics core ran with 750 to 800 MHz. The behavior was identical in both AC and battery modes.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 37.4 °C / 99 F, compared to the average of 34.3 °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 36.8 °C / 98 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 27.2 °C / 81 F, compared to the device average of 29.5 °C / 85 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are reaching skin temperature as a maximum (34.5 °C / 94.1 F) and are therefore not hot.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 27.7 °C / 81.9 F (-6.8 °C / -12.2 F).
Energy Management
Power Consumption
HP has to be praised for the very low idle power consumption. The ProBook 430 G2's rates are even a bit lower than those of the ProBook 430 G1. The power consumption of HP's laptop does not skyrocket in undreamed-of heights during load, either. The ProBook consumed 27.1 watts in the stress test (it needed 31.7 watts for a few seconds at initiation). The strongly throttled processor is noticed here. The rate should clearly increase to above 30 watts when the processor works with full power. There is still some headroom; the power supply has a nominal output of 40 watts.
| Off / Standby | 0 / 0.1 Watt |
| Idle | 3.4 / 5.2 / 6.9 Watt |
| Load |
26 / 27.1 Watt |
   
| |
Key:
min: ,
med: ,
max: Extech Power Analyzer 380803 | |
Battery Runtime
The ProBook 430 G2 achieved an idle runtime of 12:02 hours with one battery charge. That places it between Dell's Latitude 3340 (19:05 h) and Asus' ASUSPRO Essential PU301LA-RO064G (11:05 h). Idle mode is simulated using Battery Eater's Reader's test. The screen operates in minimum brightness, the energy-saving profile is enabled, and the wireless modules are off. The ProBook shut down after 2:04 hours of load. It thus lasts a bit longer than the Latitude (1:56 h) and Asus' laptop (1:35 h). The load runtime is ascertained with Battery Eater's Classic test. The screen's brightness is set to maximum, the high-performance profile is enabled, and the radio modules are on.
HP's laptop stopped our real-world Wi-Fi test after 5:32 hours. Asus' laptop (5:17 h) is almost on par. However, the Latitude (14:31 h) clearly outruns its contenders. Websites are opened automatically every 40 seconds, the energy-saving profile is enabled, and the screen's brightness is set to approximately 150 cd/m² in this test. We check the video playback time by running the short movie Big Buck Bunny (H.264 encoding, 1920x1080 pixels) in a loop. The wireless modules are disabled, and the screen's brightness is set to roughly 150 cd/m². The ProBook lasted 5:31 hours. Again, Asus' laptop is on par, and the Latitude delivers the best rate by far.
The battery life is overall good. It is even better than from its virtually identically built ProBook 430 G1 sister model. That is owed to the ProBook 430 G2's very low idle power consumption.
| HP Probook 430 G2 HD Graphics 4400, 4210U, Samsung SSD 840 PRO MZ7PD128HCFV-000H1 | HP ProBook 430-G1 HD Graphics 4400, 4200U, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E380 | Dell Latitude 13 3340 Education Series HD Graphics 4400, 4200U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive | Asus ASUSPRO Essential PU301LA-RO064G HD Graphics 4400, 4500U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050 | Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE | Fujitsu Lifebook E544 HD Graphics 4600, 4210M, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive | Lenovo ThinkPad L440 20AT004QGE HD Graphics 4600, 4300M, Intel SSD 520 Series SSDSC2BW180A3L | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Runtime | -9% | 70% | -9% | 5% | -12% | -15% | |
| Reader / Idle | 722 | 672 -7% | 1145 59% | 664 -8% | 1053 46% | 771 7% | 594 -18% |
| H.264 | 331 | 539 63% | 328 -1% | 337 2% | |||
| WiFi | 332 | 257 -23% | 871 162% | 317 -5% | 428 29% | 262 -21% | 292 -12% |
| Load | 124 | 128 3% | 116 -6% | 95 -23% | 55 -56% | 95 -23% |
Verdict
HP's ProBook 430 G2 is a 13.3-inch office laptop aimed at professional and private users alike. Compared with the ProBook 430 G1, HP has only made very minor superficial modifications. The laptops are identical otherwise. The computing power is more than sufficient for routine. A swift solid state drive ensures a fast-working system. Users who need a higher storage capacity can quickly replace the SSD with another SSD or a conventional hard drive owing to the maintenance cover. Decent input devices and good battery runtimes complement that. The laptop's biggest shortcoming is its screen. Although it features a matte surface, it is relatively dark, has a very low contrast, and it is viewing angle dependent. The ProBook's price is clearly beyond 600 Euros (~$730), and thus we would expect more here. The fan's subtle whistling should not be left unmentioned. Fortunately, it is often idle in normal, everyday use.
Asus' ASUSPRO Essential PU301LA-RO064G is an equivalent alternative to the ProBook. The laptops do not differ in either price or performance. A slimmed-down version of Asus' laptop is available for a price starting at 630 Euros (~$767). Dell's Latitude 3340 is first choice when the longest possible battery life is a purchase criterion.
