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MagyarHP ZBook Firefly 14 G9 laptop in review: Intel Alder Lake-U slows down this mobile workstation
We recently reviewed the larger ZBook Firefly 16 G9 and now we take a look at HP's mobile workstation with a 14-inch display. Similar to its bigger cousin, the ZBook Firefly 14 G9 is also equipped with a current Intel Alder Lake processor along with a dedicated Nvidia T550 professional GPU and is thus aimed at the entry-level professional sector.
Our configuration with the designation 6B8A2EA uses the Core i7-1265U, the Nvidia T550, 32 GB of RAM, a 1 TB SSD, and a matte Full HD panel in the 16:10 format. This configuration currently retails for around €2,100 (~US$2,075).
Update 10/25/2022: We are in contact with HP since we reviewed the ZBook Firefly 16 G9 and noticed the bad performance figures. Shortly after we published the review of the smaller ZBook Firefly 14 G9, there were multiple system updates from HP via Windows update. They have a positive effect on the performance: The TDP limits for the processor are higher and the CPU now consumes 51/33 Watts instead of 51/12 Watts and the Nvidia T550 GPU now consumes 30 instead of 20 Watts. We have included some initial benchmark scores with the new updates in the table below and the other tests (especially fan noise, surface temperatures as well as performance in combined load scenarios) will follow in the next couple of days.
| Benchmark | Result before Update | Result after Update | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinebench R15 Multi | 706 Points | 1590 Points | + 125 % |
| Cinebench R23 Multi | 4332 Points | 9070 Points | + 109 % |
| Cinebench R23 Single | 1415 Points | 1780 Points | + 26 % |
| 3DMark Time Spy Graphics | 1882 Points | 2370 Points | + 26 % |
Potential competitors in comparison
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Height | Size | Resolution | Best Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 83.6 % | 10/2022 | HP ZBook Firefly 14 G9-6B8A2EA i7-1265U, T550 Laptop GPU | 1.5 kg | 19.9 mm | 14.00" | 1920x1200 | |
| 87.6 % | 09/2022 | Dell Precision 5000 5470 i9-12900H, RTX A1000 Laptop GPU | 1.6 kg | 18.95 mm | 14.00" | 2560x1600 | |
| 85.1 % | 06/2021 | Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen2-20VX000GGE i7-1185G7, T500 Laptop GPU | 1.5 kg | 18 mm | 14.00" | 1920x1080 | |
| 89 % | 03/2022 | Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio i7 RTX 3050 Ti i7-11370H, GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Laptop GPU | 1.8 kg | 19 mm | 14.40" | 2400x1600 | |
| 92.7 % | 11/2021 | Apple MacBook Pro 14 2021 M1 Pro Entry M1 Pro 8-Core, M1 Pro 14-Core GPU | 1.6 kg | 15.5 mm | 14.20" | 3024x1964 |
Case and equipment
The HP ZBook Firefly G9 uses the same chassis as seen in the company's regular business models such as the EliteBook 840 G9 or 845 G9, but the silver color seems slightly darker in this mobile workstation. The aluminum case leaves a high-quality impression and is also very stable. We did not face any problems like the screen bezel coming loose (see the review of the EliteBook 845 G9). Thanks to the 16:10 display and the narrow screen edges, this compact 14-incher looks quite modern but does not stand out particularly in a professional environment with its rather restrained design. The maximum opening angle is around 170 degrees and the hinges are well adjusted. It is possible to open the lid with one hand without any problems while almost completely preventing teetering at the same time.
The ZBook offers all important ports including two USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 4 support, which also enable power supply or connection to a docking station. Besides a full-fledged HDMI output, there is also a SmartCard reader and a slot for a nano-SIM card in WWAN models (optionally with 5G). The WWAN module cannot be upgraded, however. HP uses the modern AX211 WLAN module from Intel, which supports the Wi-Fi 6E standard. We were able to connect to the 6 GHz network of our reference router from Asus without any problems in the test and the transfer rates are very good. An Ethernet port and a card reader are not included.
In addition to an IR camera, HP has installed a 5 MP webcam with a mechanical aperture, which only records pictures with a maximum of 2,560 x 1,440 pixels (3.7 MP). Videos can be recorded in a maximum of 1440p at 30 frames per second. The camera leaves a good impression and can stand out from the usual 720p or 1080p modules in terms of image sharpness as well as color fidelity.
Maintenance
The bottom case cover is secured with conventional Philips screws (they only loosen and do not unscrew completely) and can be easily removed. Inside, you get access to the fan, the screwed battery, the M.2-2280 slot as well as the two SO-DIMM slots, which are located under an additional cover. However, the WLAN module is soldered onto the motherboard.
Input devices: Zbook with a very good keyboard
The backlit keyboard offers a firm pressure point and a very comfortable typing experience overall, making the ZBook suitable for writing very long texts. The power button is integrated into the keyboard's upper right and there is a risk of accidentally hitting the key. Furthermore, the arrow keys are very small. The fingerprint scanner is located below the keyboard on the right side.
The large clickpad (12 x 8 cm) offers good gliding properties and works very well in everyday use. The lower part of the pad can be pressed down, which is acknowledged with a pleasantly rich and quiet click noise — like how it should be.
Display: ZBook with matte IPS panel
HP offers a total of four different 16:10 panel choices for the ZBook Firefly 14 G9, all of which are based on IPS technology and have a matte surface. However, the standard model with a brightness of 250 cd/m² and touchscreen should be avoided if possible. The SureView panel with a built-in privacy filter also has some drawbacks, as we had found in our review of the EliteBook 845 G9. The 400 nits panel with a resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels (100% sRGB) is installed in our test device, but a DreamColor panel with P3 color space coverage and a resolution of 2660 x 1600 pixels as well as 120 Hz is optionally available.
Subjectively, the panel offers excellent picture quality because even bright surfaces do not look grainy despite the matte coating. The average brightness is more than 400 cd/m² and the contrast ratio is high. We did not notice any PWM flickering and the viewing angle stability is very good. Only at maximum brightness do we notice slight halos at the lower edges on dark backgrounds.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 91 %
Center on Battery: 431 cd/m²
Contrast: 1543:1 (Black: 0.28 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 3.1 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5, calibrated: 0.8
ΔE Greyscale 4.5 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
71.1% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
99.9% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
69.6% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G9-6B8A2EA CMN1435, IPS, 1920x1200, 14.00 | Dell Precision 5000 5470 AU Optronics B140QAN, IPS, 2560x1600, 14.00 | Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen2-20VX000GGE B140HAN05.7, IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00 | Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio i7 RTX 3050 Ti LQ144P1JX01, IPS, 2400x1600, 14.40 | Apple MacBook Pro 14 2021 M1 Pro Entry Mini-LED, 3024x1964, 14.20 | HP ZBook Firefly 14 G8 2C9Q2EA AU Optronics AUO068B, IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display | 8% | -5% | 9% | 43% | 0% | |
| Display P3 Coverage | 69.6 | 79.3 14% | 65.4 -6% | 80.6 16% | 99.3 43% | 70 1% |
| sRGB Coverage | 99.9 | 100 0% | 96.6 -3% | 99.9 0% | 99.5 0% | |
| AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 71.1 | 78.7 11% | 66.5 -6% | 78.5 10% | 71.4 0% | |
| Response Times | -9% | -15% | 2% | -29% | -13% | |
| Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 56.3 ? | 52.4 ? 7% | 58.8 ? -4% | 58.4 ? -4% | 58.4 ? -4% | 64.4 ? -14% |
| Response Time Black / White * | 26.2 ? | 32.4 ? -24% | 32.8 ? -25% | 24 ? 8% | 40.4 ? -54% | 29.2 ? -11% |
| PWM Frequency | 5000 ? | 14880 | ||||
| Screen | 10% | -9% | 24% | 428% | 3% | |
| Brightness middle | 432 | 537 24% | 350 -19% | 497 15% | 489 13% | 461 7% |
| Brightness | 407 | 518 27% | 348 -14% | 491 21% | 479 18% | 439 8% |
| Brightness Distribution | 91 | 94 3% | 94 3% | 92 1% | 94 3% | 89 -2% |
| Black Level * | 0.28 | 0.33 -18% | 0.14 50% | 0.29 -4% | 0.01 96% | 0.24 14% |
| Contrast | 1543 | 1627 5% | 2500 62% | 1714 11% | 48900 3069% | 1921 24% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 3.1 | 2.97 4% | 4.3 -39% | 1.2 61% | 0.8 74% | 2.6 16% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 5.6 | 5.33 5% | 6.7 -20% | 2.8 50% | 1.3 77% | 5.8 -4% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated * | 0.8 | 0.88 -10% | 1.5 -88% | 0.8 -0% | 1.1 -38% | |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 4.5 | 2.4 47% | 5.3 -18% | 1.9 58% | 1.1 76% | 4.4 2% |
| Gamma | 2 110% | 2.06 107% | 2.42 91% | 2.14 103% | 2.24 98% | 2.29 96% |
| CCT | 6528 100% | 6668 97% | 7631 85% | 6821 95% | 6478 100% | |
| Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998) | 61.1 | 65.2 | ||||
| Color Space (Percent of sRGB) | 96.4 | 99.4 | ||||
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | 3% /
7% | -10% /
-9% | 12% /
17% | 147% /
310% | -3% /
0% |
* ... smaller is better
Our analysis with the professional CalMAN software shows a slight color cast towards blue/red in the state of delivery, and many colors are also slightly above the DeltaE 2000 deviation of 3 compared to the sRGB reference color space. As long as you do not edit pictures, this is perfectly sufficient for everyday use.
However, our own calibration shows how much potential the panel has. We were able to completely eliminate the color cast and the average deviation of the colors falls to just 0.8 (maximum 1.8), which is an excellent performance.
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 26.2 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 9.7 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 16.5 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. » 61 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.5 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 56.3 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 25 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 31.3 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. » 92 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.7 ms). | ||
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 17900 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured. | |||
The matte display performs very well outdoors. The panel could only be a bit brighter in direct sunlight.
Performance: 12 W Alder Lake-U
Processor: Intel Core i7-1265U
The Core i7-1265U is a current Alder Lake chip (12th generation) with two fast performance and eight efficiency cores. The performance potential is theoretically also very high, but the chip in the ZBook Firefly 14 G9 is slowed down by the very low 12 W power limit, which kicks in after a few seconds. This is sufficient for simple tasks, but the overall performance is a bit lower than even a Tiger Lake Core i7-1165G7 in the predecessor model if all CPU benchmarks are taken together.
We also experienced a similar problem in the larger Firefly 16 G9 and are therefore in contact with the manufacturer. The performance is definitely disappointing for a mobile workstation. For comparison, the normal business variant EliteBook 845 G9 with the AMD Ryzen 9 Pro 6950HS offers around three times the multi-core performance.
More CPU benchmarks are available in our technology section.
Cinebench R15 multi-core loop
Cinebench R23: Multi Core | Single Core
Cinebench R20: CPU (Multi Core) | CPU (Single Core)
Cinebench R15: CPU Multi 64Bit | CPU Single 64Bit
Blender: v2.79 BMW27 CPU
7-Zip 18.03: 7z b 4 | 7z b 4 -mmt1
Geekbench 5.5: Multi-Core | Single-Core
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2: 4k Preset
LibreOffice : 20 Documents To PDF
R Benchmark 2.5: Overall mean
| CPU Performance Rating | |
| Average of class Workstation | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5470 | |
| Apple MacBook Pro 14 2021 M1 Pro Entry -8! | |
| HP EliteBook 845 G9 6F6H6EA | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1265U | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio i7 RTX 3050 Ti | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen2-20VX000GGE | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G8 2C9Q2EA -2! | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G9-6B8A2EA | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 16 G9-6B897EA | |
| Cinebench R23 / Multi Core | |
| Average of class Workstation (4332 - 24560, n=28, last 2 years) | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5470 | |
| HP EliteBook 845 G9 6F6H6EA | |
| Apple MacBook Pro 14 2021 M1 Pro Entry | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1265U (4332 - 9219, n=10) | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio i7 RTX 3050 Ti | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen2-20VX000GGE | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 16 G9-6B897EA | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G9-6B8A2EA | |
| Cinebench R23 / Single Core | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5470 | |
| Average of class Workstation (1144 - 2106, n=28, last 2 years) | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1265U (1144 - 1820, n=10) | |
| Apple MacBook Pro 14 2021 M1 Pro Entry | |
| HP EliteBook 845 G9 6F6H6EA | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio i7 RTX 3050 Ti | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen2-20VX000GGE | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G9-6B8A2EA | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 16 G9-6B897EA | |
| Cinebench R20 / CPU (Multi Core) | |
| Average of class Workstation (1669 - 9329, n=29, last 2 years) | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5470 | |
| HP EliteBook 845 G9 6F6H6EA | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1265U (1669 - 3584, n=10) | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio i7 RTX 3050 Ti | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen2-20VX000GGE | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G8 2C9Q2EA | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G9-6B8A2EA | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 16 G9-6B897EA | |
| Cinebench R20 / CPU (Single Core) | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5470 | |
| Average of class Workstation (528 - 816, n=29, last 2 years) | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1265U (528 - 701, n=10) | |
| HP EliteBook 845 G9 6F6H6EA | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G8 2C9Q2EA | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio i7 RTX 3050 Ti | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 16 G9-6B897EA | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen2-20VX000GGE | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G9-6B8A2EA | |
| Cinebench R15 / CPU Multi 64Bit | |
| Average of class Workstation (706 - 3625, n=28, last 2 years) | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5470 | |
| HP EliteBook 845 G9 6F6H6EA | |
| Apple MacBook Pro 14 2021 M1 Pro Entry | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1265U (706 - 1572, n=10) | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio i7 RTX 3050 Ti | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen2-20VX000GGE | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G8 2C9Q2EA | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 16 G9-6B897EA | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G9-6B8A2EA | |
| Cinebench R15 / CPU Single 64Bit | |
| Average of class Workstation (166.2 - 301, n=28, last 2 years) | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5470 | |
| HP EliteBook 845 G9 6F6H6EA | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1265U (165.3 - 260, n=10) | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G8 2C9Q2EA | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio i7 RTX 3050 Ti | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G9-6B8A2EA | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen2-20VX000GGE | |
| Apple MacBook Pro 14 2021 M1 Pro Entry | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 16 G9-6B897EA | |
| Blender / v2.79 BMW27 CPU | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 16 G9-6B897EA | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G9-6B8A2EA | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen2-20VX000GGE | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G8 2C9Q2EA | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio i7 RTX 3050 Ti | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1265U (364 - 684, n=10) | |
| HP EliteBook 845 G9 6F6H6EA | |
| Average of class Workstation (137 - 684, n=28, last 2 years) | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5470 | |
| 7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4 | |
| Average of class Workstation (20087 - 99351, n=28, last 2 years) | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5470 | |
| HP EliteBook 845 G9 6F6H6EA | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1265U (20087 - 38715, n=10) | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio i7 RTX 3050 Ti | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G8 2C9Q2EA | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G9-6B8A2EA | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen2-20VX000GGE | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 16 G9-6B897EA | |
| 7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4 -mmt1 | |
| Average of class Workstation (4777 - 6670, n=28, last 2 years) | |
| HP EliteBook 845 G9 6F6H6EA | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen2-20VX000GGE | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5470 | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G8 2C9Q2EA | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1265U (4614 - 5617, n=10) | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio i7 RTX 3050 Ti | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 16 G9-6B897EA | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G9-6B8A2EA | |
| Geekbench 5.5 / Multi-Core | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5470 | |
| Average of class Workstation (5022 - 17487, n=28, last 2 years) | |
| Apple MacBook Pro 14 2021 M1 Pro Entry | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1265U (5022 - 8981, n=10) | |
| HP EliteBook 845 G9 6F6H6EA | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G9-6B8A2EA | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio i7 RTX 3050 Ti | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen2-20VX000GGE | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 16 G9-6B897EA | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G8 2C9Q2EA | |
| Geekbench 5.5 / Single-Core | |
| Average of class Workstation (1474 - 2095, n=28, last 2 years) | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G9-6B8A2EA | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5470 | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 16 G9-6B897EA | |
| Apple MacBook Pro 14 2021 M1 Pro Entry | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1265U (1429 - 1806, n=10) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen2-20VX000GGE | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G8 2C9Q2EA | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio i7 RTX 3050 Ti | |
| HP EliteBook 845 G9 6F6H6EA | |
| HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2 / 4k Preset | |
| Average of class Workstation (5.09 - 26, n=28, last 2 years) | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5470 | |
| HP EliteBook 845 G9 6F6H6EA | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1265U (5.09 - 10.6, n=10) | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio i7 RTX 3050 Ti | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen2-20VX000GGE | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G8 2C9Q2EA | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G9-6B8A2EA | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 16 G9-6B897EA | |
| LibreOffice / 20 Documents To PDF | |
| HP EliteBook 845 G9 6F6H6EA | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio i7 RTX 3050 Ti | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G8 2C9Q2EA | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 16 G9-6B897EA | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1265U (44 - 61.6, n=10) | |
| Average of class Workstation (36.5 - 95.2, n=28, last 2 years) | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G9-6B8A2EA | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5470 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen2-20VX000GGE | |
| R Benchmark 2.5 / Overall mean | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio i7 RTX 3050 Ti | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G8 2C9Q2EA | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen2-20VX000GGE | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 16 G9-6B897EA | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G9-6B8A2EA | |
| HP EliteBook 845 G9 6F6H6EA | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1265U (0.4666 - 0.578, n=10) | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5470 | |
| Average of class Workstation (0.3876 - 0.544, n=28, last 2 years) | |
* ... smaller is better
AIDA64: FP32 Ray-Trace | FPU Julia | CPU SHA3 | CPU Queen | FPU SinJulia | FPU Mandel | CPU AES | CPU ZLib | FP64 Ray-Trace | CPU PhotoWorxx
| Performance Rating | |
| Average of class Workstation | |
| HP EliteBook 845 G9 6F6H6EA | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5470 | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio i7 RTX 3050 Ti | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G8 2C9Q2EA | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1265U | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G9-6B8A2EA | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 16 G9-6B897EA | |
| AIDA64 / FP32 Ray-Trace | |
| Average of class Workstation (2619 - 25776, n=28, last 2 years) | |
| HP EliteBook 845 G9 6F6H6EA | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5470 | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio i7 RTX 3050 Ti | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G8 2C9Q2EA | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1265U (2619 - 8178, n=10) | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G9-6B8A2EA | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 16 G9-6B897EA | |
| AIDA64 / FPU Julia | |
| HP EliteBook 845 G9 6F6H6EA | |
| Average of class Workstation (12909 - 109059, n=28, last 2 years) | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5470 | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1265U (12909 - 41649, n=10) | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio i7 RTX 3050 Ti | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G8 2C9Q2EA | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G9-6B8A2EA | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 16 G9-6B897EA | |
| AIDA64 / CPU SHA3 | |
| Average of class Workstation (824 - 4981, n=28, last 2 years) | |
| HP EliteBook 845 G9 6F6H6EA | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5470 | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio i7 RTX 3050 Ti | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G8 2C9Q2EA | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1265U (824 - 2183, n=10) | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G9-6B8A2EA | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 16 G9-6B897EA | |
| AIDA64 / CPU Queen | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5470 | |
| Average of class Workstation (26716 - 131931, n=28, last 2 years) | |
| HP EliteBook 845 G9 6F6H6EA | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G9-6B8A2EA | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1265U (63615 - 67065, n=10) | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 16 G9-6B897EA | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G8 2C9Q2EA | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio i7 RTX 3050 Ti | |
| AIDA64 / FPU SinJulia | |
| HP EliteBook 845 G9 6F6H6EA | |
| Average of class Workstation (3105 - 14742, n=28, last 2 years) | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5470 | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G8 2C9Q2EA | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio i7 RTX 3050 Ti | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1265U (3105 - 5135, n=10) | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G9-6B8A2EA | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 16 G9-6B897EA | |
| AIDA64 / FPU Mandel | |
| HP EliteBook 845 G9 6F6H6EA | |
| Average of class Workstation (6967 - 58181, n=28, last 2 years) | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5470 | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio i7 RTX 3050 Ti | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G8 2C9Q2EA | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1265U (6967 - 20804, n=10) | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G9-6B8A2EA | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 16 G9-6B897EA | |
| AIDA64 / CPU AES | |
| Average of class Workstation (19489 - 132156, n=28, last 2 years) | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G8 2C9Q2EA | |
| HP EliteBook 845 G9 6F6H6EA | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio i7 RTX 3050 Ti | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5470 | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1265U (19489 - 42966, n=10) | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G9-6B8A2EA | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 16 G9-6B897EA | |
| AIDA64 / CPU ZLib | |
| Average of class Workstation (314 - 1472, n=28, last 2 years) | |
| HP EliteBook 845 G9 6F6H6EA | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1265U (314 - 632, n=10) | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5470 | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G8 2C9Q2EA | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G9-6B8A2EA | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio i7 RTX 3050 Ti | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 16 G9-6B897EA | |
| AIDA64 / FP64 Ray-Trace | |
| Average of class Workstation (1473 - 13800, n=28, last 2 years) | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5470 | |
| HP EliteBook 845 G9 6F6H6EA | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio i7 RTX 3050 Ti | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G8 2C9Q2EA | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1265U (1473 - 4376, n=10) | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G9-6B8A2EA | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 16 G9-6B897EA | |
| AIDA64 / CPU PhotoWorxx | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5470 | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio i7 RTX 3050 Ti | |
| Average of class Workstation (18157 - 51637, n=28, last 2 years) | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1265U (20213 - 47031, n=10) | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G9-6B8A2EA | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G8 2C9Q2EA | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 16 G9-6B897EA | |
| HP EliteBook 845 G9 6F6H6EA | |
System performance
The subjective system performance is very good despite the comparatively low CPU performance, which can also be attributed to the fast PCIe 4.0 SSD. We did not detect any problems during the test either.
CrossMark: Overall | Productivity | Creativity | Responsiveness
| PCMark 10 / Score | |
| Average of class Workstation (5488 - 8587, n=27, last 2 years) | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5470 | |
| HP EliteBook 845 G9 6F6H6EA | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1265U, NVIDIA T550 Laptop GPU (5488 - 6181, n=3) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen2-20VX000GGE | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 16 G9-6B897EA | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio i7 RTX 3050 Ti | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G9-6B8A2EA | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G8 2C9Q2EA | |
| PCMark 10 / Essentials | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5470 | |
| Average of class Workstation (9151 - 12197, n=27, last 2 years) | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 16 G9-6B897EA | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1265U, NVIDIA T550 Laptop GPU (9960 - 10250, n=3) | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G9-6B8A2EA | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen2-20VX000GGE | |
| HP EliteBook 845 G9 6F6H6EA | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G8 2C9Q2EA | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio i7 RTX 3050 Ti | |
| PCMark 10 / Productivity | |
| Average of class Workstation (7846 - 10820, n=27, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen2-20VX000GGE | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1265U, NVIDIA T550 Laptop GPU (8315 - 9474, n=3) | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 16 G9-6B897EA | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5470 | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio i7 RTX 3050 Ti | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G8 2C9Q2EA | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G9-6B8A2EA | |
| HP EliteBook 845 G9 6F6H6EA | |
| PCMark 10 / Digital Content Creation | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5470 | |
| Average of class Workstation (5399 - 13947, n=27, last 2 years) | |
| HP EliteBook 845 G9 6F6H6EA | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio i7 RTX 3050 Ti | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1265U, NVIDIA T550 Laptop GPU (5399 - 6793, n=3) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen2-20VX000GGE | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 16 G9-6B897EA | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G8 2C9Q2EA | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G9-6B8A2EA | |
| CrossMark / Overall | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5470 | |
| Average of class Workstation (1154 - 1972, n=27, last 2 years) | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 16 G9-6B897EA | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G9-6B8A2EA | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1265U, NVIDIA T550 Laptop GPU (1591 - 1623, n=3) | |
| Apple MacBook Pro 14 2021 M1 Pro Entry | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio i7 RTX 3050 Ti | |
| HP EliteBook 845 G9 6F6H6EA | |
| CrossMark / Productivity | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5470 | |
| Average of class Workstation (1188 - 1842, n=27, last 2 years) | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 16 G9-6B897EA | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G9-6B8A2EA | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1265U, NVIDIA T550 Laptop GPU (1553 - 1592, n=3) | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio i7 RTX 3050 Ti | |
| HP EliteBook 845 G9 6F6H6EA | |
| Apple MacBook Pro 14 2021 M1 Pro Entry | |
| CrossMark / Creativity | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5470 | |
| Average of class Workstation (1180 - 2248, n=27, last 2 years) | |
| Apple MacBook Pro 14 2021 M1 Pro Entry | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 16 G9-6B897EA | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G9-6B8A2EA | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1265U, NVIDIA T550 Laptop GPU (1723 - 1751, n=3) | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio i7 RTX 3050 Ti | |
| HP EliteBook 845 G9 6F6H6EA | |
| CrossMark / Responsiveness | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5470 | |
| Average of class Workstation (990 - 1865, n=27, last 2 years) | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G9-6B8A2EA | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 16 G9-6B897EA | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1265U, NVIDIA T550 Laptop GPU (1344 - 1376, n=3) | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio i7 RTX 3050 Ti | |
| HP EliteBook 845 G9 6F6H6EA | |
| Apple MacBook Pro 14 2021 M1 Pro Entry | |
| PCMark 10 Score | 5488 points | |
Help | ||
| AIDA64 / Memory Copy | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5470 | |
| Average of class Workstation (30324 - 95718, n=28, last 2 years) | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1265U (40212 - 72204, n=10) | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio i7 RTX 3050 Ti | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G9-6B8A2EA | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G8 2C9Q2EA | |
| AIDA64 / Memory Read | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5470 | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G9-6B8A2EA | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1265U (41808 - 69493, n=10) | |
| Average of class Workstation (30787 - 85570, n=28, last 2 years) | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio i7 RTX 3050 Ti | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G8 2C9Q2EA | |
| AIDA64 / Memory Write | |
| Average of class Workstation (32728 - 93871, n=28, last 2 years) | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5470 | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G9-6B8A2EA | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio i7 RTX 3050 Ti | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1265U (41382 - 76027, n=10) | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G8 2C9Q2EA | |
| AIDA64 / Memory Latency | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5470 | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio i7 RTX 3050 Ti | |
| Average of class Workstation (83.4 - 139.3, n=28, last 2 years) | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1265U (74.6 - 112.4, n=10) | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G9-6B8A2EA | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G8 2C9Q2EA | |
* ... smaller is better
DPC latency
With the BIOS version at hand, the ZBook shows limitations in our latency test and is therefore not ideally suited for real-time audio applications.
| DPC Latencies / LatencyMon - interrupt to process latency (max), Web, Youtube, Prime95 | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G8 2C9Q2EA | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5470 | |
| HP EliteBook 845 G9 6F6H6EA | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen2-20VX000GGE | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 16 G9-6B897EA | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G9-6B8A2EA | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio i7 RTX 3050 Ti | |
* ... smaller is better
Mass storage
HP installs a fast PCIe 4.0 Micron 3400 SSD with a storage capacity of 1 TB, of which 885 GB is still available after the first start-up. The transfer rates of more than 6 GB/s are good to have, but performance fluctuations occur after a few minutes during permanent load due to high temperatures.
Further SSD benchmarks are available here.
* ... smaller is better
Dauerleistung Lesen: DiskSpd Read Loop, Queue Depth 8
Graphics card
As is the case with the larger Firefly 16 G9, the dedicated Nvidia T550 operates at a TGP of just 20 W, which is the minimum value that Nvidia specifies (20-60 W). Since it is a professional GPU, you get optimized drivers including certifications for professional applications. Therefore, the GPU still makes sense despite the entry-level classification.
In terms of pure performance, the new T550 is a bit disappointing and is only marginally ahead of the T500 GPU in the old ZBook Firefly 14 G8. The performance remains stable under permanent load and in battery mode.
More GPU benchmarks can be found in our technology section.
The gaming performance is also in the entry-level range, but at least modern casual titles can often be played reasonably with reduced details as long as the requirements are not too high.
3DMark: 1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics | 1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics | 2560x1440 Time Spy Graphics | Wild Life Extreme Unlimited | Wild Life Extreme
| 3DMark Performance Rating | |
| Apple MacBook Pro 14 2021 M1 Pro Entry -3! | |
| Average of class Workstation | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio i7 RTX 3050 Ti | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5470 -2! | |
| Average NVIDIA T550 Laptop GPU | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 16 G9-6B897EA | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G9-6B8A2EA | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G8 2C9Q2EA -2! | |
| HP EliteBook 845 G9 6F6H6EA -2! | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen2-20VX000GGE -2! | |
| 3DMark / Cloud Gate Standard Graphics | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5470 | |
| Average of class Workstation (32743 - 133204, n=15, last 2 years) | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio i7 RTX 3050 Ti | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 16 G9-6B897EA | |
| Average NVIDIA T550 Laptop GPU (32743 - 33694, n=2) | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G9-6B8A2EA | |
| HP EliteBook 845 G9 6F6H6EA | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G8 2C9Q2EA | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen2-20VX000GGE | |
| 3DMark / Fire Strike Graphics | |
| Average of class Workstation (4816 - 35868, n=28, last 2 years) | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio i7 RTX 3050 Ti | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5470 | |
| Average NVIDIA T550 Laptop GPU (4816 - 5593, n=3) | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 16 G9-6B897EA | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G9-6B8A2EA | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G8 2C9Q2EA | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen2-20VX000GGE | |
| HP EliteBook 845 G9 6F6H6EA | |
| 3DMark / Time Spy Graphics | |
| Average of class Workstation (1882 - 16218, n=28, last 2 years) | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio i7 RTX 3050 Ti | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5470 | |
| Average NVIDIA T550 Laptop GPU (1882 - 2252, n=3) | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G8 2C9Q2EA | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 16 G9-6B897EA | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G9-6B8A2EA | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen2-20VX000GGE | |
| HP EliteBook 845 G9 6F6H6EA | |
| 3DMark / Wild Life Extreme Unlimited | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio i7 RTX 3050 Ti | |
| Average of class Workstation (3530 - 15840, n=7, last 2 years) | |
| Apple MacBook Pro 14 2021 M1 Pro Entry | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 16 G9-6B897EA | |
| Average NVIDIA T550 Laptop GPU (3530 - 3649, n=2) | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G9-6B8A2EA | |
| 3DMark / Wild Life Extreme | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio i7 RTX 3050 Ti | |
| Apple MacBook Pro 14 2021 M1 Pro Entry | |
| Average of class Workstation (3617 - 14749, n=4, last 2 years) | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 16 G9-6B897EA | |
| Average NVIDIA T550 Laptop GPU (3617 - 3739, n=2) | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G9-6B8A2EA | |
| 3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score | 17829 points | |
| 3DMark Fire Strike Score | 4559 points | |
| 3DMark Time Spy Score | 2031 points | |
Help | ||
* ... smaller is better
The Witcher 3 FPS chart
| low | med. | high | ultra | |
| GTA V (2015) | 116 | 117.2 | 61.6 | 29 |
| The Witcher 3 (2015) | 121 | 73 | 39 | 19.6 |
| Dota 2 Reborn (2015) | 113.3 | 103.8 | 92.3 | 84 |
| Final Fantasy XV Benchmark (2018) | 60.2 | 30.5 | 22 | |
| X-Plane 11.11 (2018) | 68.1 | 64.1 | 58.8 | |
| Strange Brigade (2018) | 126.1 | 47.7 | 38.7 | 33.2 |
| F1 2021 (2021) | 152.7 | 70.7 | 56.5 | 36.1 |
| F1 22 (2022) | 66.4 | 59.9 | 41.4 | 29.5 |
Emissions and energy
Noise emissions
In everyday use, the processor's low performance is noticed positively in the fan behavior as the ZBook Firefly 14 G9 remains extremely quiet as long as you do not use the dedicated GPU. Even at full CPU load, the fan whirs at less than 30 dB(A) and is thus barely audible in normal environments.
When the T550 is also active, the fan quickly reaches ~40 dB(A). We could not detect any other electronic noises.
Noise Level
| Idle |
| 24.3 / 24.3 / 24.3 dB(A) |
| Load |
| 35.6 / 41 dB(A) |
 | ||
30 dB silent 40 dB(A) audible 50 dB(A) loud |
||
min:  , med:  , max:  Earthworks M23R, Arta (15 cm distance) environment noise: 24.3 dB(A) | ||
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G9-6B8A2EA T550 Laptop GPU, i7-1265U, Micron 3400 1TB MTFDKBA1T0TFH | Dell Precision 5000 5470 RTX A1000 Laptop GPU, i9-12900H, Samsung PM9A1 MZVL21T0HCLR | Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen2-20VX000GGE T500 Laptop GPU, i7-1185G7, Toshiba XG6 KXG6AZNV1T02 | Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio i7 RTX 3050 Ti GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Laptop GPU, i7-11370H, SK Hynix PC711 1TB HFS001TDE9X084N | Apple MacBook Pro 14 2021 M1 Pro Entry M1 Pro 14-Core GPU, M1 Pro 8-Core, Apple SSD AP0512 | HP ZBook Firefly 14 G8 2C9Q2EA T500 Laptop GPU, i7-1165G7, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV1T02 | HP EliteBook 845 G9 6F6H6EA Radeon 680M, R9 PRO 6950HS, WDC PC SN810 1TB | HP ZBook Firefly 16 G9-6B897EA T550 Laptop GPU, i7-1265U, Samsung PM9A1 MZVL21T0HCLR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noise | -10% | -1% | -4% | 3% | -10% | -6% | -1% | |
| off / environment * | 24.3 | 23 5% | 24.6 -1% | 24.7 -2% | 24.8 -2% | 28.7 -18% | 25.5 -5% | 23.8 2% |
| Idle Minimum * | 24.3 | 23.3 4% | 24.6 -1% | 24.7 -2% | 24.8 -2% | 28.7 -18% | 25.5 -5% | 23.8 2% |
| Idle Average * | 24.3 | 23.3 4% | 24.6 -1% | 24.7 -2% | 24.8 -2% | 28.7 -18% | 25.5 -5% | 23.8 2% |
| Idle Maximum * | 24.3 | 23.3 4% | 24.6 -1% | 24.7 -2% | 24.8 -2% | 28.7 -18% | 25.5 -5% | 23.8 2% |
| Load Average * | 35.6 | 48.5 -36% | 38.9 -9% | 33.2 7% | 27.8 22% | 34 4% | 38.1 -7% | 39.4 -11% |
| Witcher 3 ultra * | 38.2 | 48.6 -27% | 44.5 -16% | 27.8 27% | 40.1 -5% | 40.5 -6% | ||
| Load Maximum * | 41 | 50.4 -23% | 38.9 5% | 46.7 -14% | 49.5 -21% | 40.1 2% | 44 -7% | 41.4 -1% |
* ... smaller is better
Temperature
The ZBook Firefly 14 G9 does not have any temperature problems in normal use, and the surfaces stay pleasantly cool. Under full load (especially with an active GPU), the temperatures do not become critical but some spots on the underside exceed 47 °C despite the comparatively low performance.
The usual behavior then occurs in the stress test: The CPU immediately settles at 12 W and the GPU remains stable at 20 W.
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 41.2 °C / 106 F, compared to the average of 38.1 °C / 101 F, ranging from 22.2 to 69.8 °C for the class Workstation.
(-) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 47.9 °C / 118 F, compared to the average of 41.3 °C / 106 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 25.8 °C / 78 F, compared to the device average of 32 °C / 90 F.
(±) Playing The Witcher 3, the average temperature for the upper side is 32.7 °C / 91 F, compared to the device average of 32 °C / 90 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are reaching skin temperature as a maximum (32.1 °C / 89.8 F) and are therefore not hot.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 27.8 °C / 82 F (-4.3 °C / -7.8 F).
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G9-6B8A2EA Intel Core i7-1265U, NVIDIA T550 Laptop GPU | Dell Precision 5000 5470 Intel Core i9-12900H, NVIDIA RTX A1000 Laptop GPU | Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen2-20VX000GGE Intel Core i7-1185G7, NVIDIA T500 Laptop GPU | Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio i7 RTX 3050 Ti Intel Core i7-11370H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Laptop GPU | Apple MacBook Pro 14 2021 M1 Pro Entry Apple M1 Pro 8-Core, Apple M1 Pro 14-Core GPU | HP ZBook Firefly 14 G8 2C9Q2EA Intel Core i7-1165G7, NVIDIA T500 Laptop GPU | HP EliteBook 845 G9 6F6H6EA AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 6950HS, AMD Radeon 680M | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heat | -8% | -12% | 11% | 5% | 3% | -13% | |
| Maximum Upper Side * | 41.2 | 41.8 -1% | 52.4 -27% | 42.3 -3% | 46.8 -14% | 42.6 -3% | 49.4 -20% |
| Maximum Bottom * | 47.9 | 36 25% | 63.7 -33% | 38.2 20% | 40.9 15% | 49.4 -3% | 48 -0% |
| Idle Upper Side * | 26.5 | 34.6 -31% | 24.6 7% | 23.4 12% | 24.2 9% | 24.2 9% | 30.8 -16% |
| Idle Bottom * | 27 | 33.6 -24% | 26 4% | 23.5 13% | 24.2 10% | 24.6 9% | 31.4 -16% |
* ... smaller is better
Loudspeakers
The two stereo speakers offer decent sound — only the bass is very weak and the sound therefore does not seem very powerful. However, the speakers are very suitable for conferences and voice reproduction.
HP ZBook Firefly 14 G9-6B8A2EA audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (84.5 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 19.6% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (13% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.5% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (3.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 1.9% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (3.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (12.7% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 14% of all tested devices in this class were better, 4% similar, 82% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 18%, worst was 35%
Compared to all devices tested
» 9% of all tested devices were better, 2% similar, 89% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Apple MacBook Pro 14 2021 M1 Pro Entry audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (84.9 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(+) | good bass - only 4.3% away from median
(+) | bass is linear (5.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 1.1% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (1.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.9% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (3% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (5.6% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 1% of all tested devices in this class were better, 1% similar, 98% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 18%, worst was 45%
Compared to all devices tested
» 0% of all tested devices were better, 0% similar, 100% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Energy consumption
Overall, the ZBook Firefly 14 G9 is a very efficient laptop, although the effects of the low performance are noticeable under load. It reaches 68 W for a very short time in the stress test, but the consumption immediately settles at ~45 W and stays at this level. The included 65 W power supply is therefore sufficient.
| Off / Standby | 0.48 / 0.85 Watt |
| Idle | 4.2 / 6.5 / 7.2 Watt |
| Load |
47.7 / 68.2 Watt |
   
| |
Power consumption - The Witcher 3 / Stress test
Power consumption - External monitor
Battery life
With the 51 Whr-battery, the ZBook Firefly 14 G9 offers a decent run time of almost 9 hours in our WLAN test at 150 cd/m² (corresponds to 63% of maximum brightness); and ~7.5 hours at full screen brightness. However, the rivals offer more endurance with the exception of the Surface Studio — even the old ZBook Firefly 14 G8 lasted much longer.
A full charge takes 140 minutes when the device is on, with 80% charge available after 72 minutes. There is no fast-charging function.
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G9-6B8A2EA i7-1265U, T550 Laptop GPU, 51 Wh | Dell Precision 5000 5470 i9-12900H, RTX A1000 Laptop GPU, 72 Wh | Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen2-20VX000GGE i7-1185G7, T500 Laptop GPU, 50 Wh | Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio i7 RTX 3050 Ti i7-11370H, GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Laptop GPU, 58 Wh | Apple MacBook Pro 14 2021 M1 Pro Entry M1 Pro 8-Core, M1 Pro 14-Core GPU, 69.9 Wh | HP ZBook Firefly 14 G8 2C9Q2EA i7-1165G7, T500 Laptop GPU, 53 Wh | HP EliteBook 845 G9 6F6H6EA R9 PRO 6950HS, Radeon 680M, 51 Wh | Average of class Workstation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Runtime | ||||||||
| WiFi v1.3 | 530 | 573 8% | 551 4% | 480 -9% | 816 54% | 770 45% | 560 6% | 541 ? 2% |
Pros
Cons
Verdict: The ZBook Firefly 14 is too slow
Our conclusion about the ZBook Firefly 14 G9 basically corresponds to that of the larger Firefly 16 G9 because it is a good notebook in many areas. Aspects like the case, the display, the equipment and the input devices are quite convincing, but performance is the focus of a mobile workstation.
The processor, in particular, does not meet this requirement, and the new Firefly 14 G9 is also slower than its predecessor with a Tiger Lake processor. The dedicated Nvidia T550 graphics card makes sense for professional applications, but it is also the slowest version with a TGP of just 20 W.
The HP ZBook Firefly 14 G9 can convince in many areas, but the performance is simply too low for a mobile workstation.
If you need more CPU power, you should look at the normal business variant HP EliteBook 845 G9 which is equipped with a 35 W processor from AMD while avoiding the SureView panel.
Note: We are currently in contact with HP regarding the low CPU performance and will update the article accordingly as soon as we receive new information.
Price and availability
The ZBook Firefly 14 G9 can be configured directly at HP directly. Alternatively, our test configuration is also available in online stores, such as Cyberport for around €2,100 (~US$2,075).
HP ZBook Firefly 14 G9-6B8A2EA
-
10/19/2022 v7
Andreas Osthoff
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