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HP ProBook 650 G2 Notebook (Full HD) Review

Disappointing screen. HP's mid-range business laptop pleases with decent input devices, solid casing, good battery life, and low system noise - unlike the Full HD panel that is a disappointment. We expect considerably more from a 1050 Euro (~$1179) laptop.

For the original German review, see here.

We recently tested an HD model of the ProBook 650 G2. The device could not really impress us. HP got in hot water primarily with the bad screen. Now we are facing a Full HD model of the ProBook. Our report reveals whether HP can score with the Full HD panel. Rivals are laptops such as Lenovo's ThinkPad L560Dell's Latitude 15 E5570, and Acer's TravelMate P658-M.

Since both ProBook 650 G2 models that we tested are identical, we will not go in-depth about casing, connectivity, input devices, and speakers. The corresponding information can be found in the review of the ProBook 650 G2 T9X61ET.

HP ProBook 650 G2 V1A44ET (ProBook 650 Series)
Processor
Intel Core i5-6200U 2 x 2.3 - 2.8 GHz, Skylake
Graphics adapter
Intel HD Graphics 520, Core: 950 MHz, single-channel, 20.19.15.4457
Memory
8 GB 
, DDR4-2132, single-channel, two memory banks (one bank filled)
Display
15.60 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 141 PPI, Chi Mei, TN LED, glossy: no
Mainboard
Intel Skylake-U Premium PCH
Storage
Sandisk X300 SD7SN6S-256G-1006, 256 GB 
, 190 GB free
Soundcard
Conexant CX20724 @ Intel Sunrise Point-LP PCH - High Definition Audio Controller
Connections
3 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 VGA, 1 DisplayPort, 1 Kensington Lock, 1 Serial Port, 1 Docking Station Port, Audio Connections: combo audio, Card Reader: SD, 1 SmartCard, 1 Fingerprint Reader, Brightness Sensor, TPM 1.2
Networking
Intel Ethernet Connection I219-V (10/100/1000MBit/s), Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8260 (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.2, HP hs3110 HSPA+
Optical drive
hp DVDRW DU8A6SH
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 27.4 x 378 x 257 ( = 1.08 x 14.88 x 10.12 in)
Battery
48 Wh, 4210 mAh Lithium-Ion
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 7 Professional (64 Bit) + Windows 10 Pro (64 Bit)
Camera
Webcam: HD
Additional features
Speakers: stereo, Keyboard: chiclet, Keyboard Light: no, Windows 10 DVD, driver DVD, Cyberlink Power2Go, Cyberlink PowerDVD 12, Cyberlink YouCam, MS Office (trial), 12 Months Warranty
Weight
2.31 kg ( = 81.48 oz / 5.09 pounds), Power Supply: 297 g ( = 10.48 oz / 0.65 pounds)
Price
1299 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Connectivity

SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
Dell Latitude 15 E5570
 
155 MB/s +171%
Lenovo ThinkPad L560-20F10026GE
 
85.4 MB/s +49%
Acer TravelMate P658-M-537B
 
68.1 MB/s +19%
HP ProBook 650 G2-T9X61ET
 
60.2 MB/s +5%
HP ProBook 650 G2 V1A44ET
 
57.3 MB/s
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
HP ProBook 650 G2-T9X61ET
 
88.2 MB/s
Lenovo ThinkPad L560-20F10026GE
 
72.3 MB/s
Networking
iperf Server (receive) TCP 1 m
HP ProBook 650 G2 V1A44ET
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8260 (jseb)
234 MBit/s
Dell Latitude 15 E5570
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8260
77.4 MBit/s -67%
iperf Client (transmit) TCP 1 m
HP ProBook 650 G2 V1A44ET
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8260 (jseb)
79 MBit/s
Dell Latitude 15 E5570
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8260
58 MBit/s -27%

Display

Pixel grid
Pixel grid

Our review sample is furnished with a matte, 15.6-inch screen that has a native resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. The brightness (295.9 cd/m²) we measured is good. We expect more from the contrast (531:1). The price level demands a minimum contrast of 1000:1. Unfortunately, the screen exhibits PWM flickering at a frequency of 200 Hz in brightness levels of 90 percent and less. This can cause headaches and/or eye problems in sensitive users.

310
cd/m²
299
cd/m²
282
cd/m²
295
cd/m²
313
cd/m²
291
cd/m²
301
cd/m²
285
cd/m²
287
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
Chi Mei tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 313 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 295.9 cd/m² Minimum: 15 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 90 %
Center on Battery: 313 cd/m²
Contrast: 531:1 (Black: 0.59 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 11.89 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 12.95 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
78% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
50% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
53.7% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
78.3% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
52.1% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.4
HP ProBook 650 G2 V1A44ET
TN LED, 1920x1080
HP ProBook 650 G2-T9X61ET
TN LED, 1366x768
Acer TravelMate P658-M-537B
IPS, 1920x1080
Dell Latitude 15 E5570
TN LED, 1366x768
Lenovo ThinkPad L560-20F10026GE
AH-IPS, 1920x1080
Display
-20%
18%
-22%
-25%
Display P3 Coverage
52.1
41.59
-20%
66.6
28%
40.48
-22%
39
-25%
sRGB Coverage
78.3
62.3
-20%
85.7
9%
60.9
-22%
58.3
-26%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
53.7
43
-20%
62.8
17%
41.82
-22%
40.33
-25%
Response Times
-6%
7%
-8%
0%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
41 ?(23, 18)
40.4 ?(19.6, 20.8)
1%
38 ?(14, 24)
7%
47 ?(22, 25)
-15%
39.2 ?(18.8, 20.4)
4%
Response Time Black / White *
27 ?(10, 17)
32 ?(18.8, 13.2)
-19%
25 ?(6, 19)
7%
27 ?(10, 17)
-0%
28 ?(12.4, 15.6)
-4%
PWM Frequency
200 ?(90)
200 ?(90)
0%
Screen
-5%
19%
-5%
12%
Brightness middle
313
247
-21%
308
-2%
228
-27%
262
-16%
Brightness
296
223
-25%
319
8%
236
-20%
250
-16%
Brightness Distribution
90
85
-6%
71
-21%
90
0%
92
2%
Black Level *
0.59
0.61
-3%
0.61
-3%
0.56
5%
0.29
51%
Contrast
531
405
-24%
505
-5%
407
-23%
903
70%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
11.89
8.8
26%
4.51
62%
10.02
16%
8.49
29%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
20.81
15.98
23%
10.19
51%
15.93
23%
17.99
14%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
12.95
10.13
22%
2.91
78%
10.66
18%
8.11
37%
Gamma
2.4 92%
2.34 94%
2.4 92%
2.48 89%
2.37 93%
CCT
15063 43%
12581 52%
6740 96%
11800 55%
6300 103%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
50
39.6
-21%
56
12%
39
-22%
37.07
-26%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
78
62.2
-20%
86
10%
61
-22%
57.94
-26%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-10% / -8%
15% / 17%
-12% / -9%
-4% / 3%

* ... smaller is better

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM detected 200 Hz ≤ 90 % brightness setting

The display backlight flickers at 200 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 90 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting.

The frequency of 200 Hz is relatively low, so sensitive users will likely notice flickering and experience eyestrain at the stated brightness setting and below.

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18110 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

The DeltaE 2000 color shift is 11.89 in delivery state. This rate can be accepted in the low-cost sector, but not in a 1050 Euro (~$1179) ProBook. A rate less than 3 would be desirable. Beyond that, the screen displays a visible bluish tint. The screen cannot reproduce either the sRGB or AdobeRGB color space. The coverage rates are 78 percent (sRGB) and 50 percent (AdobeRGB).

CalMAN - ColorChecker
CalMAN - ColorChecker
CalMAN - Grayscale
CalMAN - Grayscale
CalMAN - Saturation Sweeps
CalMAN - Saturation Sweeps

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
27 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 10 ms rise
↘ 17 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. » 63 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
41 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 23 ms rise
↘ 18 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 59 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

The Full HD screen is a viewing angle dependent TN panel. Thus, the screen is not legible from every position. We would have expected a viewing angle stable IPS panel here. The ProBook is usable outdoors, however, the sun should not be too bright.

The ProBook outdoors (shot under cloudy skies; sun behind the laptop).
The ProBook outdoors (shot under cloudy skies; sun behind the laptop).

Performance

With the ProBook 650 G2, HP delivers a 15.6-inch mid-range business laptop. It has enough computing power for all common application scenarios. A docking port, TPM, and 3G modem are onboard. Our review sample is priced at approximately 1050 Euros (~$1179). Other configurations exist. The cheapest model at test time carried a price tag of around 860 Euros (~$965). The identically built ProBook 655 G2 lineup (furnished with AMD APUs) expands the offer.

Processor

Inside our review sample, we find a mid-range CPU by Intel in form of the Core i5-6200U (Skylake) dual-core processor. It should completely satisfy the needs of most users. The CPU is a member of the frugal ULV processors (TDP: 15 watts). The processor clocks at a base speed of 2.3 GHz that can be boosted to 2.7 GHz (both cores) and 2.8 GHz (one core only) via Turbo. Turbo is only utilized in AC mode. The CPU performed our tests at 2.1 to 2.4 GHz in battery mode. The reason: The option "Enable Turbo Boost on DC" is disabled in the laptop's BIOS. When enabled, Turbo is also utilized in battery mode.

Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit
4308
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
9934
Cinebench R10 Shading 32Bit
7213
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
116 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
291 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
35.56 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
97.8 %
Help
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Dell Latitude 15 E5570
Intel Core i5-6300U
124 Points +7%
Lenovo ThinkPad L560-20F10026GE
Intel Core i5-6200U
116 Points 0%
HP ProBook 650 G2 V1A44ET
Intel Core i5-6200U
116 Points
HP ProBook 650 G2-T9X61ET
Intel Core i5-6200U
110 Points -5%
Acer TravelMate P658-M-537B
Intel Core i5-6200U
78 Points -33%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Dell Latitude 15 E5570
Intel Core i5-6300U
310 Points +7%
HP ProBook 650 G2 V1A44ET
Intel Core i5-6200U
291 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad L560-20F10026GE
Intel Core i5-6200U
290 Points 0%
HP ProBook 650 G2-T9X61ET
Intel Core i5-6200U
288 Points -1%
Acer TravelMate P658-M-537B
Intel Core i5-6200U
219 Points -25%
Geekbench 3
32 Bit Single-Core Score
Dell Latitude 15 E5570
Intel Core i5-6300U
2874 Points +8%
HP ProBook 650 G2 V1A44ET
Intel Core i5-6200U
2661 Points
32 Bit Multi-Core Score
Dell Latitude 15 E5570
Intel Core i5-6300U
6172 Points +8%
HP ProBook 650 G2 V1A44ET
Intel Core i5-6200U
5718 Points
JetStream 1.1 - Total Score
HP ProBook 650 G2-T9X61ET
Intel Core i5-6200U
194.1 Points +72%
Dell Latitude 15 E5570
Intel Core i5-6300U
119.8 Points +6%
HP ProBook 650 G2 V1A44ET
Intel Core i5-6200U
112.6 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad L560-20F10026GE
Intel Core i5-6200U
110.1 Points -2%

System Performance

A powerful processor and swift solid-state drive result in a fast-running system. The PCMark benchmark scores are very good. Increasing the performance slightly is possible. Installing a second working memory bank would enable dual-channel mode and consequently increase graphics performance.

PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
3234 points
Help
PCMark 8 - Home Score Accelerated v2
Acer TravelMate P658-M-537B
HD Graphics 520, 6200U, Kingston RBU-SNS8152S3256GG2
3475 Points +7%
Dell Latitude 15 E5570
HD Graphics 520, 6300U, Samsung SSD PM871 MZ7LN128HCHP
3282 Points +1%
HP ProBook 650 G2 V1A44ET
HD Graphics 520, 6200U, Sandisk X300 SD7SN6S-256G-1006
3234 Points
HP ProBook 650 G2-T9X61ET
HD Graphics 520, 6200U, Hitachi Travelstar Z7K500 HTS725050A7E630
3229 Points 0%
Lenovo ThinkPad L560-20F10026GE
HD Graphics 520, 6200U, WDC Slim WD10SPCX-21KHST0
2886 Points -11%

Storage Device

A solid-state drive by SanDisk is installed as the system drive. It is an M.2 model. The SSD has a capacity of 256 GB. Roughly 190 GB can be used. The rest of the storage is reserved by the Windows installation and recovery partition. The transfer rates are good.

The installed SSD is a SATA model. However, PCIe SSDs can be inserted into the M.2 slot. According to the maintenance manual, HP offers SSDs for the ProBook that are connected via PCI Express 3.0 x4 (NVMe support present). These SSDs achieve much higher transfer rates than SATA models.

It is not possible to insert an M.2 SSD and 2.5-inch HDD (9.5 and 7 mm) at the same time. It might be possible to install a 5-mm, 2.5-inch hard drive (e.g. Seagate Ultra Thin). However, since we do not have such an HDD we cannot test this.
It is not possible to insert an M.2 SSD and 2.5-inch HDD (9.5 and 7 mm) at the same time. It might be possible to install a 5-mm, 2.5-inch hard drive (e.g. Seagate Ultra Thin). However, since we do not have such an HDD we cannot test this.
Sandisk X300 SD7SN6S-256G-1006
Sequential Read: 475 MB/s
Sequential Write: 435 MB/s
512K Read: 280.4 MB/s
512K Write: 265.5 MB/s
4K Read: 32.71 MB/s
4K Write: 98.7 MB/s
4K QD32 Read: 347.2 MB/s
4K QD32 Write: 154.1 MB/s
HP ProBook 650 G2 V1A44ET
Sandisk X300 SD7SN6S-256G-1006
HP ProBook 650 G2-T9X61ET
Hitachi Travelstar Z7K500 HTS725050A7E630
Acer TravelMate P658-M-537B
Kingston RBU-SNS8152S3256GG2
Dell Latitude 15 E5570
Samsung SSD PM871 MZ7LN128HCHP
Lenovo ThinkPad L560-20F10026GE
WDC Slim WD10SPCX-21KHST0
CrystalDiskMark 3.0
-90%
-1%
-13%
-89%
Read Seq
475
109.6
-77%
479.1
1%
474.7
0%
113.6
-76%
Write Seq
435
109.1
-75%
333.1
-23%
155
-64%
111.7
-74%
Read 512
280.4
30.66
-89%
418
49%
393.6
40%
39.65
-86%
Write 512
265.5
45.71
-83%
320.5
21%
119.7
-55%
55.3
-79%
Read 4k
32.71
0.351
-99%
25.66
-22%
34
4%
0.488
-99%
Write 4k
98.7
0.798
-99%
64.7
-34%
96.6
-2%
1.022
-99%
Read 4k QD32
347.2
0.656
-100%
226.2
-35%
383.3
10%
1.367
-100%
Write 4k QD32
154.1
0.787
-99%
211.4
37%
100.2
-35%
1.036
-99%

Graphics Card

Intel's HD Graphics 520 graphics unit is onboard. It supports DirectX 12 and clocks at speeds of up to 950 MHz. The GPU's 3DMark scores are on a normal level. Increasing the performance would be possible by installing a second working memory module. The then enabled dual-channel mode would better utilize the GPU.

3DMark 11 Performance
1344 points
Help
3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU
Acer TravelMate P658-M-537B
Intel HD Graphics 520, Intel Core i5-6200U
1347 Points +10%
HP ProBook 650 G2-T9X61ET
Intel HD Graphics 520, Intel Core i5-6200U
1305 Points +7%
Dell Latitude 15 E5570
Intel HD Graphics 520, Intel Core i5-6300U
1296 Points +6%
Lenovo ThinkPad L560-20F10026GE
Intel HD Graphics 520, Intel Core i5-6200U
1225 Points 0%
HP ProBook 650 G2 V1A44ET
Intel HD Graphics 520, Intel Core i5-6200U
1220 Points

Gaming Performance

Although the ProBook is an office device, an occasional game can be played on it - in low resolutions and low quality settings. This involves games that do not have exorbitant demands on the hardware. Installing a second working memory module (= dual-channel mode enabled) would lead to higher frame rates.

low med. high ultra
BioShock Infinite (2013) 38.3 21.7 17.9

Emissions & Energy

Fan loudness
Fan loudness

System Noise

The ProBook hardly produces noise over the entire load range. The fan is sometimes inactive in idle and silence prevails. It usually spins at a low speed. The fan did not speed up much even during the stress test. We measured a noise level of just 34.5 dB(A).

Noise Level

Idle
30.5 / 31.6 / 31.9 dB(A)
Load
34.7 / 34.5 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   Audix TM1, Arta (15 cm distance)   environment noise: 30.5 dB(A)

Temperature

The ProBook in the stress test
The ProBook in the stress test

The ProBook performed our stress test (Prime95 and FurMark run for at least one hour) differently in AC and battery mode. The processor clocked at 2.7 GHz for only a short time in AC mode. Its speed then throttled permanently to 2.1 to 2.2 GHz where it remained. The graphics unit clocked at full speed. The CPU (1.5 GHz) and GPU (500 MHz) reduced their speeds in battery mode. The laptop heated up moderately. Forty degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) was only surpassed on one measuring point.

Max. Load
 36.1 °C
97 F
34.9 °C
95 F
33.8 °C
93 F
 
 34.3 °C
94 F
39.6 °C
103 F
29.5 °C
85 F
 
 29.7 °C
85 F
28 °C
82 F
28.4 °C
83 F
 
Maximum: 39.6 °C = 103 F
Average: 32.7 °C = 91 F
33 °C
91 F
41.8 °C
107 F
37.9 °C
100 F
31.6 °C
89 F
36.7 °C
98 F
35 °C
95 F
29.8 °C
86 F
31.5 °C
89 F
31.1 °C
88 F
Maximum: 41.8 °C = 107 F
Average: 34.3 °C = 94 F
Power Supply (max.)  39.3 °C = 103 F | Room Temperature 22 °C = 72 F | FIRT 550-Pocket
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 32.7 °C / 91 F, compared to the average of 29.5 °C / 85 F for the devices in the class Office.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 39.6 °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 41.8 °C / 107 F, compared to the average of 36.7 °C / 98 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 26.4 °C / 80 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 29.7 °C / 85.5 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(±) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 27.7 °C / 81.9 F (-2 °C / -3.6 F).
Temperature development upper side (load)
Temperature development upper side (load)
Temperature development underside (load)
Temperature development underside (load)
Temperature development upper side (idle)
Temperature development upper side (idle)
Temperature development underside (idle)
Temperature development underside (idle)

Speakers

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2034.632.234.62534.934.434.9313332.8334032.831.532.85036.836.536.86330.227.830.2802626.42610027.424.927.412529.625.229.616027.825.427.820026.823.826.825030.92230.931542.221.642.240054.320.654.350053.119.853.163060.519.460.580063.418.563.4100069.418.169.4125075.317.875.3160070.817.770.8200065.717.865.7250069.917.769.9315069.317.869.3400070.91870.9500071.11871.1630074.118.274.1800067.718.267.71000067.518.367.51250068.518.168.51600067.818.167.8SPL82.330.582.3N50.31.550.3median 67.5median 18.2median 67.5Delta11.91.211.935.335.132.931.831.83236.535.132.428.93328.936.328.848.32761.52752.924.860.92462.822.763.32269.521.267.82174.82075.919.472.718.97117.770.117.86917.671.817.668.117.671.417.673.717.670.417.571.617.671.617.669.617.459.717.583.630.662.51.5median 69.6median 17.84.72.4hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseHP ProBook 650 G2 V1A44ETApple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz
HP ProBook 650 G2 V1A44ET audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (72 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 36.7% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (7.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | reduced mids - on average 6.7% lower than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (11.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.6% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (26.4% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 79% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 14% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 22%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 78% of all tested devices were better, 4% similar, 18% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Apple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (83.6 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 11.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (14.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.4% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (10.2% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 5% of all tested devices in this class were better, 2% similar, 93% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 19%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 3% of all tested devices were better, 1% similar, 96% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

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

Power Consumption

The ProBook does not demand much energy. We measured a maximum idle power consumption of 7.6 watts - a good rate. The requirement climbed to 39.5 watts for a moment in the stress test. When CPU throttling set in, the rate dropped to 28.4 watts. The power supply has a nominal output of 45 watts.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.32 / 0.4 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 3.4 / 7.5 / 7.6 Watt
Load midlight 28.4 / 28.4 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.

Battery Runtime

Our practical Wi-Fi test simulates the load needed for opening websites. The "Balanced" profile is enabled, the laptop's energy-saving functions are disabled, and the screen's brightness is set to approximately 150 cd/m². The ProBook achieved a runtime of 7:04 hours. Thus, it lasts a bit longer than its HD sibling.

Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing (IE 11)
7h 04min
Battery Runtime - WiFi Websurfing
Dell Latitude 15 E5570
6300U, HD Graphics 520, 62 Wh
632 min +49%
Acer TravelMate P658-M-537B
6200U, HD Graphics 520, 55 Wh
512 min +21%
HP ProBook 650 G2 V1A44ET
6200U, HD Graphics 520, 48 Wh
424 min
HP ProBook 650 G2-T9X61ET
6200U, HD Graphics 520, 48 Wh
408 min -4%
Lenovo ThinkPad L560-20F10026GE
6200U, HD Graphics 520, 48 Wh
406 min -4%

Pros

+ matte screen
+ Full HD resolution
+ fast SSD
+ docking port
+ decent battery life
+ relatively stiff casing

Cons

- low-contrast, viewing angle dependent screen
- one-year warranty only
- interface positioning
- no USB 3.1 Gen2
- no keyboard backlight
- no LTE, 3G only

Verdict

In review: HP ProBook 650 G2. Test model courtesy of HP Germany.
In review: HP ProBook 650 G2. Test model courtesy of HP Germany.

HP delivers a mid-range business laptop in the form of the ProBook 650 G2. It has enough computing power for all common application scenarios. The laptop always runs quietly and hardly heats up. A swift solid-state drive results in a fast-running system. Replacing the SSD would be possible after removing the laptop's base tray. This is quite easy to do. The installed keyboard is pleasing although it does not have a backlight. It should be equipped as standard in a device like the ProBook. The battery life is good.

HP puts the existence of this series in question itself with the ProBook 650 G2 since the price difference to the cheaper ProBook 450 lineup is low. We expected more from the ProBook 650 in total.

We cannot say much good about the installed Full HD panel. It is low-contrast, viewing angle dependent, exhibits a poor color reproduction, and only offers a small color space coverage. It is improper to install such a screen. It firstly contradicts the claim the HP should have on the ProBook 650 series and secondly, it is completely inappropriate in view of the laptop's purchase price.

HP ProBook 650 G2 V1A44ET - 10/02/2016 v5.1(old)
Sascha Mölck

Chassis
81 / 98 → 83%
Keyboard
85%
Pointing Device
88%
Connectivity
61 / 80 → 76%
Weight
61 / 20-67 → 87%
Battery
89%
Display
77%
Games Performance
53 / 68 → 78%
Application Performance
79 / 92 → 86%
Temperature
92%
Noise
91%
Audio
59%
Camera
48 / 85 → 56%
Average
74%
83%
Office - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > HP ProBook 650 G2 Notebook (Full HD) Review
Sascha Mölck, 2016-10- 3 (Update: 2018-05-15)