Honor MagicBook 15 laptop in review: Inexpensive and powerful
Like the Honor MagicBook 14, the MagicBook 15 has also been upgraded to AMD's Ryzen 5 4500U. The case remains the same compared to the predecessor with the Ryzen 5 3500U, which shouldn't be seen as a disadvantage. Therefore, we will point to the old model in sections of the review that do not show any new features in the MagicBook 15.
Besides the AMD Ryzen 5 4500U, the internal AMD Radeon RX Vega 6 takes care of displaying image content. In addition, there's 8 GB of RAM and a 512 GB SSD. For a price of approximately 650 Euros (~$791), the configuration is impressive and will be compared in our test with the competitors listed below. You can also add more laptops from our database under each section.
Possible competitors in comparisons
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Height | Size | Resolution | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 84.7 % v7 (old) | 01 / 2021 | Honor MagicBook 15 4500U R5 4500U, Vega 6 | 1.5 kg | 17 mm | 15.60" | 1920x1080 | |
| 82.8 % v7 (old) | 07 / 2020 | Honor MagicBook 15 R5 3500U, Vega 8 | 1.5 kg | 16.9 mm | 15.60" | 1920x1080 | |
| 83.2 % v7 (old) | 07 / 2020 | HP ProBook 445 G7 175W4EA R5 4500U, Vega 6 | 1.6 kg | 18 mm | 14.00" | 1920x1080 | |
| 86 % v7 (old) | 07 / 2020 | Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ARE05 R5 4500U, Vega 6 | 1.4 kg | 16.9 mm | 14.00" | 1920x1080 | |
| 81 % v7 (old) | 12 / 2020 | Dell Latitude 15 3510 NK2MC i3-10110U, UHD Graphics 620 | 1.9 kg | 18 mm | 15.60" | 1920x1080 |
Case - High-quality aluminum case
For a detailed description of the case, we refer to the review of the predecessor model at this point.
Connectivity - Only the most necessary ports
Connectivity also remains identical to the Honor MagicBook 15 with the Ryzen 5 3500U.
Communication
Although the WLAN module remains identical, the MagicBook 15 performs slightly better than the predecessor in our WLAN test.
With the Netgear Nighthawk AX12 reference router, the Windows laptop now achieves 655 Mb/s for receiving data and 658 Mb/s for transmitting data. These rates are good for the present Wi-Fi 5, but they can't compete with devices that already use Wi-Fi 6, especially when it comes to data reception.
Webcam
The webcam of the MagicBook 15 offers the widely used but still low 0.9 MP resolution. This makes pictures blurry even in very good light. In addition, a clear red tint appears when photographing our test chart. The viewing angle isn't optimal either due to the worm's-eye view perspective.
Maintenance
Users can swap the SSD and WLAN module inside the MagicBook 15. There's also enough room for a 2.5-inch storage device in the case. However, we could not find a suitable port.
Warranty
Honor grants buyers of the MagicBook 15 a warranty period of 24 months.
Input devices - Suitable for users who type frequently
Touchpad
A description of the input devices can be found in the review of the Honor MagicBook 15 with the Ryzen 5 3500U.
Display - Good contrast ratio
The screen of the MagicBook 15 consists of a 15.6-inch IPS panel and offers a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. The brightness is in the mid-range of our test field at an average of 259 cd/m², and the same applies for the illumination of 85%.
PWM at a frequency of 5,152 Hz is used for brightness control. This value is not particularly low, but it can still cause problems for users with very sensitive eyes.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 85 %
Center on Battery: 272 cd/m²
Contrast: 1600:1 (Black: 0.17 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 5.3 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.87, calibrated: 3.8
ΔE Greyscale 4 | 0.5-98 Ø5.1
64.1% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
41.2% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
44.95% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
64.5% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
43.51% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.03
| Honor MagicBook 15 4500U BOE0872, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.6" | Honor MagicBook 15 AU Optronics B156HAN02.8, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.6" | HP ProBook 445 G7 175W4EA BOE0868, IPS, 1920x1080, 14" | Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ARE05 AU Optronics B140HAN04.E, IPS, 1920x1080, 14" | Dell Latitude 15 3510 NK2MC Dell 156CL05, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.6" | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display | -8% | -8% | -14% | -6% | |
| Display P3 Coverage | 43.51 | 39.96 -8% | 39.92 -8% | 37.23 -14% | 40.78 -6% |
| sRGB Coverage | 64.5 | 59.7 -7% | 59.6 -8% | 55.9 -13% | 61.3 -5% |
| AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 44.95 | 41.29 -8% | 41.25 -8% | 38.46 -14% | 42.15 -6% |
| Response Times | 31% | -40% | 22% | -37% | |
| Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 36 ? | 40 ? | 41 ? | 38 ? | |
| Response Time Black / White * | 36 ? | 25 ? 31% | 30 ? 17% | 28 ? 22% | 28 ? 22% |
| PWM Frequency | 5152 | 192 ? -96% | 250 -95% | ||
| Screen | 3% | -13% | -10% | -12% | |
| Brightness middle | 272 | 251 -8% | 277 2% | 360 32% | 262 -4% |
| Brightness | 259 | 247 -5% | 270 4% | 317 22% | 236 -9% |
| Brightness Distribution | 85 | 85 0% | 88 4% | 82 -4% | 86 1% |
| Black Level * | 0.17 | 0.205 -21% | 0.285 -68% | 0.41 -141% | 0.31 -82% |
| Contrast | 1600 | 1224 -23% | 972 -39% | 878 -45% | 845 -47% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 5.3 | 3.94 26% | 5.53 -4% | 4.75 10% | 4.92 7% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 18 | 7.87 56% | 10.68 41% | 7.4 59% | 15.83 12% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated * | 3.8 | 3.42 10% | 4.43 -17% | 4.86 -28% | 4.34 -14% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 4 | 3.42 14% | 6.2 -55% | 3.75 6% | 3.47 13% |
| Gamma | 2.03 108% | 2.44 90% | 2.34 94% | 2.32 95% | 2.4 92% |
| CCT | 7338 89% | 6319 103% | 7342 89% | 6543 99% | 6680 97% |
| Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998) | 41.2 | 38 -8% | 38 -8% | 36 -13% | 39 -5% |
| Color Space (Percent of sRGB) | 64.1 | 59 -8% | 59 -8% | 56 -13% | 61 -5% |
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | 9% /
3% | -20% /
-16% | -1% /
-9% | -18% /
-14% |
* ... smaller is better
Compared with the predecessor, the Honor MagicBook 15's display offers a higher contrast ratio of 1,600:1 and also a lower black level of 0.17 cd/m². Color-space coverage has increased as well and is now 64.1% (sRGB) and 41.2% (AdobeRGB), respectively.
In addition, the CalMAN analysis shows that the display already comes with a comparatively low Delta E 2000 deviation out of the box. However, this can still be improved a bit with a calibration. The corresponding ICC file can be downloaded in the upper right window next to the display brightness distribution chart.
The Honor MagicBook 15 can be used well outdoors on cloudy days or in places in the shade. However, it becomes increasingly difficult to read image content from the display in direct sunlight.
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 36 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 18 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 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 93 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (20.7 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 17.6 ms rise |  |
| ↘ ms fall | ||
| The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.165 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 0 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (32.5 ms). | ||
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM detected | 5152 Hz |  | |
The display backlight flickers at 5152 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) . The frequency of 5152 Hz is quite high, so most users sensitive to PWM should not notice any flickering. In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 8492 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured. | |||
The MagicBook 15's IPS panel is very viewing-angle stable. Image content can be read even from very flat angles without it becoming distorted or being displayed with inaccurate colors.
Performance - Ryzen 5 4500U delivers much better performance
While the predecessor model of the Honor MagicBook 15 still used an AMD Ryzen 5 3500U, a Ryzen 5 4500U is used now. Our test configuration is also equipped with 8 GB of RAM and a 512 GB SSD. With this, Honor is primarily targeting office users and offers a little power for occasional image-editing tasks.
Processor
The upgrade to AMD's Ryzen 5 4500U significantly increases the MagicBook 15's performance. With clock rates of up to 4 GHz, the hexa-core processor delivers a performance that is about 25% higher than with the Ryzen 5 3500U. However, some competing laptops achieve a better result in single-core usage. In multi-core use, however, Honor's laptop ends up in second place in our test field, just behind the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ARE05.
Our Cinebench R15 endurance test also shows that the MagicBook 15's performance drops by approximately 10% after a few cycles. All tests were performed under the Performance Mode found in Huawei's PC Manager. If the Balanced setting is enabled here, performance is consistently at a slightly low level.
Cinebench R15: CPU Single 64Bit | CPU Multi 64Bit
Blender: v2.79 BMW27 CPU
7-Zip 18.03: 7z b 4 -mmt1 | 7z b 4
Geekbench 5.5: Single-Core | Multi-Core
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2: 4k Preset
LibreOffice : 20 Documents To PDF
R Benchmark 2.5: Overall mean
| Cinebench R20 / CPU (Single Core) | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (128 - 826, n=69, last 2 years) | |
| HP ProBook 445 G7 175W4EA | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ARE05 | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 4500U (424 - 453, n=12) | |
| Honor MagicBook 15 4500U | |
| Dell Latitude 15 3510 NK2MC | |
| Honor MagicBook 15 | |
| Cinebench R20 / CPU (Multi Core) | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (579 - 8541, n=69, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ARE05 | |
| Honor MagicBook 15 4500U | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 4500U (1843 - 2530, n=13) | |
| HP ProBook 445 G7 175W4EA | |
| Honor MagicBook 15 | |
| Dell Latitude 15 3510 NK2MC | |
| Cinebench R15 / CPU Single 64Bit | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (72.4 - 322, n=70, last 2 years) | |
| HP ProBook 445 G7 175W4EA | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ARE05 | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 4500U (156 - 177, n=13) | |
| Honor MagicBook 15 4500U | |
| Honor MagicBook 15 | |
| Dell Latitude 15 3510 NK2MC | |
| Cinebench R15 / CPU Multi 64Bit | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (327 - 3345, n=74, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ARE05 | |
| Honor MagicBook 15 4500U | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 4500U (715 - 1007, n=18) | |
| HP ProBook 445 G7 175W4EA | |
| Honor MagicBook 15 | |
| Dell Latitude 15 3510 NK2MC | |
| Blender / v2.79 BMW27 CPU | |
| Dell Latitude 15 3510 NK2MC | |
| Honor MagicBook 15 | |
| HP ProBook 445 G7 175W4EA | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 4500U (533 - 748, n=11) | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ARE05 | |
| Honor MagicBook 15 4500U | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (159 - 2271, n=72, last 2 years) | |
| 7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4 -mmt1 | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (2643 - 6442, n=67, last 2 years) | |
| HP ProBook 445 G7 175W4EA | |
| Honor MagicBook 15 4500U | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 4500U (4235 - 4338, n=11) | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ARE05 | |
| Dell Latitude 15 3510 NK2MC | |
| Honor MagicBook 15 | |
| 7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4 | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (11668 - 77867, n=65, last 2 years) | |
| Honor MagicBook 15 4500U | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 4500U (22466 - 25891, n=11) | |
| HP ProBook 445 G7 175W4EA | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ARE05 | |
| Honor MagicBook 15 | |
| Dell Latitude 15 3510 NK2MC | |
| Geekbench 5.5 / Single-Core | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (726 - 2350, n=66, last 2 years) | |
| Honor MagicBook 15 4500U | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 4500U (1082 - 1220, n=10) | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ARE05 | |
| HP ProBook 445 G7 175W4EA | |
| Dell Latitude 15 3510 NK2MC | |
| Honor MagicBook 15 | |
| Geekbench 5.5 / Multi-Core | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (2557 - 17218, n=66, last 2 years) | |
| Honor MagicBook 15 4500U | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 4500U (4352 - 6234, n=10) | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ARE05 | |
| HP ProBook 445 G7 175W4EA | |
| Honor MagicBook 15 | |
| Dell Latitude 15 3510 NK2MC | |
| HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2 / 4k Preset | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (0.97 - 25.1, n=68, last 2 years) | |
| Honor MagicBook 15 4500U | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 4500U (5.86 - 7.33, n=10) | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ARE05 | |
| Honor MagicBook 15 | |
| Dell Latitude 15 3510 NK2MC | |
| LibreOffice / 20 Documents To PDF | |
| Honor MagicBook 15 | |
| HP ProBook 445 G7 175W4EA | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 4500U (58.2 - 78, n=11) | |
| Honor MagicBook 15 4500U | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ARE05 | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (38.5 - 220, n=66, last 2 years) | |
| Dell Latitude 15 3510 NK2MC | |
| R Benchmark 2.5 / Overall mean | |
| Dell Latitude 15 3510 NK2MC | |
| Honor MagicBook 15 | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ARE05 | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 4500U (0.614 - 0.654, n=10) | |
| Honor MagicBook 15 4500U | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (0.403 - 1.456, n=68, last 2 years) | |
* ... smaller is better
System performance
The MagicBook 15 achieves a very good result in the PCMark 10 system performance test. The Honor laptop can lead our test field in the overall score as well as in most of the individual disciplines. Only in the "Essentials" test is the score just enough for second place.
In everyday use, the Honor MagicBook 15 shows a smooth system operation and fast file access. Programs are also opened quickly. Furthermore, we didn't notice any micro stuttering or the like. How other laptops performed in our test can be seen in our CPU Benchmarks article.
| PCMark 10 Score | 4851 points | |
Help | ||
DPC latencies
In our test, the Honor MagicBook 15 only shows very low interruption times and is, therefore, well suited for real-time applications.
| DPC Latencies / LatencyMon - interrupt to process latency (max), Web, Youtube, Prime95 | |
| Dell Latitude 15 3510 NK2MC | |
| Honor MagicBook 15 | |
| HP ProBook 445 G7 175W4EA | |
| Honor MagicBook 15 4500U | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ARE05 | |
* ... smaller is better
Storage
Honor installs a 512 GB SSD in the MagicBook 15. It delivers very good read and write speeds in our test, which are also reflected in everyday use. How other mass storage devices perform in comparison can be found in our HDD/SSD Benchmarks article.
| Honor MagicBook 15 4500U WDC PC SN530 SDBPNPZ-512G | Honor MagicBook 15 Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB256HBHQ | HP ProBook 445 G7 175W4EA Samsung PM991 MZVLQ512HALU | Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ARE05 Samsung PM991 MZALQ512HALU | Dell Latitude 15 3510 NK2MC Toshiba KBG40ZNS256G NVMe | Average WDC PC SN530 SDBPNPZ-512G | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6 | 2% | -19% | -16% | -13% | -2% | |
| Write 4K | 161.1 | 136.1 -16% | 144.6 -10% | 102.8 -36% | 150 -7% | 170.1 ? 6% |
| Read 4K | 49.92 | 42.88 -14% | 38.08 -24% | 45.48 -9% | 61.8 24% | 49.4 ? -1% |
| Write Seq | 1799 | 2335 30% | 1320 -27% | 1255 -30% | 458 -75% | 1731 ? -4% |
| Read Seq | 1978 | 2183 10% | 1397 -29% | 1434 -28% | 1881 -5% | 1643 ? -17% |
| Write 4K Q32T1 | 392.5 | 261.2 -33% | 324.2 -17% | 441 12% | 338.4 -14% | 453 ? 15% |
| Read 4K Q32T1 | 506 | 328.1 -35% | 434.8 -14% | 474.1 -6% | 447.3 -12% | 488 ? -4% |
| Write Seq Q32T1 | 1806 | 2348 30% | 1382 -23% | 1456 -19% | 1563 -13% | 1791 ? -1% |
| Read Seq Q32T1 | 2460 | 3564 45% | 2354 -4% | 2085 -15% | 2422 -2% | 2272 ? -8% |
| AS SSD | 15% | -6% | 4% | -54% | -7% | |
| Seq Read | 2091 | 2830 35% | 1936 -7% | 1970 -6% | 1971 -6% | 1862 ? -11% |
| Seq Write | 1658 | 2187 32% | 1213 -27% | 1268 -24% | 1130 -32% | 1392 ? -16% |
| 4K Read | 43.46 | 45.36 4% | 44.09 1% | 47.13 8% | 51.3 18% | 42.1 ? -3% |
| 4K Write | 141.9 | 88.6 -38% | 118.5 -16% | 121.6 -14% | 119.7 -16% | 163.8 ? 15% |
| 4K-64 Read | 589 | 732 24% | 867 47% | 855 45% | 585 -1% | 813 ? 38% |
| 4K-64 Write | 1028 | 1199 17% | 838 -18% | 859 -16% | 495.5 -52% | 876 ? -15% |
| Access Time Read * | 0.064 | 0.055 14% | 0.122 -91% | 0.065 -2% | 0.107 -67% | 0.07875 ? -23% |
| Access Time Write * | 0.047 | 0.037 21% | 0.034 28% | 0.032 32% | 0.22 -368% | 0.08225 ? -75% |
| Score Read | 842 | 1060 26% | 1105 31% | 1100 31% | 833 -1% | 1041 ? 24% |
| Score Write | 1335 | 1506 13% | 1078 -19% | 1108 -17% | 728 -45% | 1179 ? -12% |
| Score Total | 2598 | 3087 19% | 2721 5% | 2745 6% | 1962 -24% | 2738 ? 5% |
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | 9% /
10% | -13% /
-11% | -6% /
-5% | -34% /
-37% | -5% /
-5% |
* ... smaller is better
Continuous load read: DiskSpd Read Loop, Queue Depth 8
Graphics card
AMD's Radeon RX Vega 6 internal graphics unit is responsible for displaying image content in the Honor MagicBook 15. It's suitable for simple 3D applications and can also display games with low hardware requirements smoothly. The GPU performs well in the 3DMark 11 benchmark and is only relegated to second place in our test field by the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ARE05.
The performance offered in comparison with other graphics cards can be found in our GPU Benchmarks article.
| 3DMark 11 Performance | 4417 points | |
Help | ||
Gaming performance
The AMD Radeon RX Vega 6 used here can bring older and simple games smoothly onto the screen. In modern titles, such as Far Cry 5, however, smooth frame rates are only possible at low resolutions and detail levels.
We have listed the gaming performance that can be expected in different titles in our GPU Games article.
| The Witcher 3 | |
| 1024x768 Low Graphics & Postprocessing | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (48 - 187, n=42, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ARE05 | |
| Honor MagicBook 15 4500U | |
| Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 6 (Ryzen 4000/5000) (32.8 - 60, n=21) | |
| HP ProBook 445 G7 175W4EA | |
| 1920x1080 Medium Graphics & Postprocessing | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (n=1last 2 years) | |
| Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 6 (Ryzen 4000/5000) (19.1 - 19.2, n=2) | |
| Honor MagicBook 15 4500U | |
| Final Fantasy XV Benchmark | |
| 1280x720 Lite Quality | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (29.9 - 111.6, n=71, last 2 years) | |
| Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 6 (Ryzen 4000/5000) (15.6 - 32.2, n=9) | |
| Honor MagicBook 15 4500U | |
| 1920x1080 Standard Quality | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (15.1 - 59.9, n=71, last 2 years) | |
| Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 6 (Ryzen 4000/5000) (10.6 - 16.1, n=8) | |
| Honor MagicBook 15 4500U | |
| low | med. | high | ultra | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Witcher 3 (2015) | 47.82 | |||
| Dota 2 Reborn (2015) | 90.4 | 69.5 | 42 | 39.5 |
| Final Fantasy XV Benchmark (2018) | 25.38 | 12.23 | ||
| X-Plane 11.11 (2018) | 38.3 | 28.9 | 26.2 | |
| Far Cry 5 (2018) | 29 | 14 |
Emissions - Quiet laptop in office usage
Noise emissions
The MagicBook 15's fan is usually silent in daily office use. Under load, it becomes audible at up to 34 dB(A) and emits a steady noise that can be faded out well. We did not detect any other noises such as coil whine or anything similar.
Noise Level
| Idle |
| 29.9 / 29.9 / 30.6 dB(A) |
| Load |
| 31.5 / 34.8 dB(A) |
 | ||
30 dB silent 40 dB(A) audible 50 dB(A) loud |
||
min:  , med:  , max:  Audix TM-1, Arta (15 cm distance) environment noise: 29.9 dB(A) | ||
Temperature
According to our measurements, the MagicBook 15's case heats up to 42.7 °C (~109 °F) under load. The warmest point is on the underside, and the temperatures of the palm rests always remain moderate. Therefore, the laptop can also be used on the lap, for example, under load.
During our approximately one-hour stress test, the temperatures inside Honor's laptop increased up to 70.4 °C (~159 °F). Right at the beginning of the test, the clock rates dropped to 1.3 GHz, which is below the base clock speed. However, they quickly stabilized again when the fans kicked in, so that an average of 3.1 GHz could be reached up to the end of the test. Since a load like the one in our stress test scenario is almost impossible in everyday life, users don't have to expect restrictions due to temperatures that are too high.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 38.5 °C / 101 F, compared to the average of 35.9 °C / 97 F, ranging from 21.4 to 59 °C for the class Subnotebook.
(±) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 42.7 °C / 109 F, compared to the average of 39.3 °C / 103 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 24.2 °C / 76 F, compared to the device average of 30.8 °C / 87 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 31.2 °C / 88.2 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.2 °C / 82.8 F (-3 °C / -5.4 F).
Speakers
The speakers in the Honor MagicBook 15 offer a medium volume and a sound spectrum that is slightly characterized by mids. This allows playing media content fairly well in very quiet environments. However, headphones or external speakers should be preferred in the long run.
Honor MagicBook 15 4500U audio analysis
(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (72.3 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 15.2% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (10.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 5.2% higher than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (7.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.2% away from median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (7.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (21.8% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 72% of all tested devices in this class were better, 6% similar, 22% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 19%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 59% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 33% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
HP ProBook 445 G7 175W4EA audio analysis
(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (76.8 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 25.1% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (9.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 3.1% away from median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (9% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 4.8% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (5.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (19.8% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 38% of all tested devices in this class were better, 9% similar, 53% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 21%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 48% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 45% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
Energy managament - MagicBook 15 with a lot of endurance
Energy consumption
Power consumption in the Honor MagicBook 15 is on par with the competition at an average of 7.4 watts in idle usage and 34.6 watts under load. The maximum power consumption is 43.6 watts.
The included USB power adapter has an output of 65 watts and is, therefore, of high enough capacity.
| Off / Standby | 0.36 / 0.57 Watt |
| Idle | 3.9 / 7.4 / 8.2 Watt |
| Load |
34.6 / 43.6 Watt |
   
| |
Key:
min: ,
med: ,
max: Metrahit Energy | |
| Honor MagicBook 15 4500U R5 4500U, Vega 6, WDC PC SN530 SDBPNPZ-512G, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.6" | Honor MagicBook 15 R5 3500U, Vega 8, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB256HBHQ, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.6" | HP ProBook 445 G7 175W4EA R5 4500U, Vega 6, Samsung PM991 MZVLQ512HALU, IPS, 1920x1080, 14" | Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ARE05 R5 4500U, Vega 6, Samsung PM991 MZALQ512HALU, IPS, 1920x1080, 14" | Dell Latitude 15 3510 NK2MC i3-10110U, UHD Graphics 620, Toshiba KBG40ZNS256G NVMe, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.6" | Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 6 (Ryzen 4000/5000) | Average of class Subnotebook | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | -11% | 6% | -21% | -2% | -3% | -21% | |
| Idle Minimum * | 3.9 | 4.6 -18% | 3.5 10% | 4.4 -13% | 3.6 8% | 3.98 ? -2% | 4.24 ? -9% |
| Idle Average * | 7.4 | 8.5 -15% | 6.2 16% | 7.6 -3% | 6.6 11% | 6.53 ? 12% | 7.34 ? 1% |
| Idle Maximum * | 8.2 | 9.1 -11% | 8.8 -7% | 9.9 -21% | 9.7 -18% | 8.65 ? -5% | 9.03 ? -10% |
| Load Average * | 34.6 | 38 -10% | 30 13% | 46 -33% | 38 -10% | 35 ? -1% | 45.1 ? -30% |
| Witcher 3 ultra * | 35.2 | ||||||
| Load Maximum * | 43.6 | 44 -1% | 45 -3% | 59 -35% | 45 -3% | 51.5 ? -18% | 68.5 ? -57% |
* ... smaller is better
Battery life
The MagicBook 15 achieves a runtime of 9.5 hours in our practical WLAN test. This means that it can make very good use of its 42 Wh battery.
The battery is fully charged after about two hours with the included charger.
| Honor MagicBook 15 4500U R5 4500U, Vega 6, 42 Wh | Honor MagicBook 15 R5 3500U, Vega 8, 42 Wh | HP ProBook 445 G7 175W4EA R5 4500U, Vega 6, 45 Wh | Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ARE05 R5 4500U, Vega 6, 56.5 Wh | Dell Latitude 15 3510 NK2MC i3-10110U, UHD Graphics 620, 40 Wh | Average of class Subnotebook | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Runtime | -37% | -1% | 4% | -18% | 37% | |
| WiFi v1.3 | 570 | 361 -37% | 523 -8% | 591 4% | 465 -18% | 762 ? 34% |
| Load | 88 | 94 7% | 121.9 ? 39% |
Pros
Cons
Verdict - With a new CPU also a better laptop
With the update to the next higher processor generation, the Honor MagicBook 15 delivers significantly better performance. Since the case has remained untouched, the high-quality workmanship with solid materials and the good input devices are still available. There are also some other smaller improvements like the slightly higher display values and the much longer battery life, for example.
The Honor MagicBook delivers even better performance with the AMD Ryzen 5 4500U, but it retains old strengths as well as weaknesses aside from that.
However, shortcomings that we had already seen in the predecessor model also remain. In this way, the WLAN remains at the Wi-Fi 5 standard, and we still have to do without a memory card reader. In addition, the webcam still faces the user from the unfavorable worm's-eye view perspective in the keyboard. If these points don't bother you that much, the Honor MagicBook 15 is a good choice, not least because of its low price too.
Honor MagicBook 15 4500U
- 01/10/2021 v7 (old)
Mike Wobker
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