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Honor Magicbook 14 Laptop Review: A better version of the MateBook D 14?

How much laptop do you actually need? We really liked the Huawei MateBook D 14 with an AMD processor in our review, and Honor now offers the same device as MagicBook 14 for 50-100 Euros (~$54-$108) less. Is there a catch, or is the MagicBook 14 a recommendation?
AMD Laptop Ultrabook Windows Ryzen (Zen)

Huawei's MateBook D 14 is a very convincing 14-inch notebook with AMD components, and the low price was not the only highlight in our review. Huawei's subsidiary Honor, which is probably best known for its smartphone by many users, now offers the identical device as the MagicBook 14. The only difference seems to be the lower price, because instead of 699 or 649 Euros (~$756 or $702) for the MateBook D 14, respectively, Honor only charges you 599 Euros (~$648).

For this kind of money you get a matte 1080p panel, illuminated keyboard, and the same Ryzen 5 3500U AMD processor coupled with 8 GB RAM. Only the capacity of the PCIe-SSD is reduced from 512 to 256 GB. But are there any other limitations, or should you just get Honor MagicBook 14? Please see our review of the MateBook D 14 for more information on the case, the ports and the input devices, because there are no differences.

Honor Magicbook 14 (Magicbook Series)
Processor
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U 4 x 2.1 - 3.7 GHz, Picasso-U (Zen+)
Graphics adapter
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), Core: 1200 MHz, Memory: 1200 MHz
Memory
8 GB 
, DDR4-2400, Dual-Channel, soldered
Display
14.00 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 157 PPI, BOE CQ TV140FHM-NH1, IPS, glossy: no, 60 Hz
Mainboard
AMD Promontory/Bixby FCH
Storage
Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB256HBHQ, 256 GB 
, 256 GB SSD, 200 GB free
Soundcard
AMD Raven - Audio Processor - HD Audio Controller
Connections
1 USB 2.0, 2 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 HDMI, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm stereo, 1 Fingerprint Reader
Networking
Realtek 8822CE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCI-E NIC (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 5.0
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 16 x 322.5 x 214.8 ( = 0.63 x 12.7 x 8.46 in)
Battery
56 Wh Lithium-Polymer
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: 720p
Additional features
Speakers: Stereo, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, 65-Watt PSU (USB-C), 24 Months Warranty
Weight
1.381 kg ( = 48.71 oz / 3.04 pounds), Power Supply: 200 g ( = 7.05 oz / 0.44 pounds)
Price
599 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Rating
Date
Model
Weight
Height
Size
Resolution
Price
86.5 %
05/2020
Honor Magicbook 14
R5 3500U, Vega 8		1.4 kg16 mm14.00"1920x1080
87.3 %
03/2020
Huawei MateBook D 14-53010TVS
R5 3500U, Vega 8		1.4 kg16 mm14.00"1920x1080
81.2 %
02/2020
Asus ZenBook 14 UM431DA-AM020T
R7 3700U, Vega 10		1.4 kg16 mm14.00"1920x1080
82 %
03/2020
Lenovo ThinkBook 14-IML-20RV006TGE
i5-10210U, UHD Graphics 620		1.6 kg17.9 mm14.00"1920x1080
74.5 %
01/2020
Dell Inspiron 14 3493-4KWCF
i7-1065G7, GeForce MX230		1.8 kg21 mm14.00"1920x1080

Case – Metal chassis with blue accents

Honor uses the chassis of the Huawei MateBook D 14 for the case of the MagicBook 14 (there is even a Huawei sticker at the bottom), the only difference is the design. Instead of a dark gray chassis, our test unit of the MagicBook has a silver shell (Mystic Silver). There is also a colored edge around the lid, which is light blue, similar to the Honor logo. We actually think the MagicBook 14 looks a bit fresher like this. If you prefer a more subtle device, there is also a dark gray (Space Gray) with blue accents. The 14-inch device can easily keep up with more expensive devices in terms of chassis quality.

Size Comparison

❌
339 mm / 13.3 in 242 mm / 9.53 in 21 mm / 0.827 in 1.8 kg3.97 lbs326 mm / 12.8 in 230 mm / 9.06 in 17.9 mm / 0.705 in 1.6 kg3.46 lbs324 mm / 12.8 in 212 mm / 8.35 in 16 mm / 0.63 in 1.4 kg3.06 lbs322.5 mm / 12.7 in 214.8 mm / 8.46 in 16 mm / 0.63 in 1.4 kg3.04 lbs322 mm / 12.7 in 215 mm / 8.46 in 16 mm / 0.63 in 1.4 kg3.05 lbs297 mm / 11.7 in 210 mm / 8.27 in 1 mm / 0.03937 in 5.7 g0.01257 lbs
Left side: 1x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-C (also power), 1x USB 3.0, HDMI
Left side: 1x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-C (also power), 1x USB 3.0, HDMI
Right side: 3.5 mm stereo jack, 1x USB 2.0
Right side: 3.5 mm stereo jack, 1x USB 2.0
Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Huawei MateBook D 14-53010TVS
Realtek 8822CE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCI-E NIC
656 (332min - 675max) MBit/s +2%
Lenovo ThinkBook 14-IML-20RV006TGE
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
649 (595min - 707max) MBit/s 0%
Honor Magicbook 14
Realtek 8822CE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCI-E NIC
646 (583min - 663max) MBit/s
Average Realtek 8822CE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCI-E NIC
  (87 - 690, n=29)
618 MBit/s -4%
Asus ZenBook 14 UM431DA-AM020T
Intel 8265 Tri-Band WiFi (Oak Peak) Network Adapter
598 (519min - 628max) MBit/s -7%
Dell Inspiron 14 3493-4KWCF
Qualcomm Atheros QCA9377 Wireless Network Adapter
305 (288min - 327max) MBit/s -53%
iperf3 receive AX12
Honor Magicbook 14
Realtek 8822CE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCI-E NIC
685 (640min - 694max) MBit/s
Lenovo ThinkBook 14-IML-20RV006TGE
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
645 (481min - 695max) MBit/s -6%
Huawei MateBook D 14-53010TVS
Realtek 8822CE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCI-E NIC
643 (619min - 656max) MBit/s -6%
Average Realtek 8822CE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCI-E NIC
  (486 - 685, n=29)
622 MBit/s -9%
Asus ZenBook 14 UM431DA-AM020T
Intel 8265 Tri-Band WiFi (Oak Peak) Network Adapter
416 (375min - 465max) MBit/s -39%
Dell Inspiron 14 3493-4KWCF
Qualcomm Atheros QCA9377 Wireless Network Adapter
333 (322min - 341max) MBit/s -51%
03570105140175210245280315350385420455490525560595630665Tooltip
Honor Magicbook 14; iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø685 (640-694)
Honor Magicbook 14; iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø646 (583-663)
ColorChecker
18.1 ∆E
21.1 ∆E
24.7 ∆E
15.7 ∆E
30.3 ∆E
17.5 ∆E
13.8 ∆E
30.9 ∆E
19 ∆E
17.3 ∆E
14.9 ∆E
15.2 ∆E
23.3 ∆E
14.4 ∆E
18.5 ∆E
9.5 ∆E
23.4 ∆E
22.8 ∆E
2.5 ∆E
13.6 ∆E
23 ∆E
20.2 ∆E
16.1 ∆E
13.8 ∆E
ColorChecker Honor Magicbook 14: 18.32 ∆E min: 2.53 - max: 30.88 ∆E

Display – MagicBook 14 with decent IPS panel

Subpixel array
Subpixel array
Screen bleeding
Screen bleeding

The 14-inch matte IPS screen has a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels and creates a good picture, which is not too grainy on bright surfaces. However, the colors do not appear as rich as on many glossy screens. Compared to the MateBook D 14, our test unit is equipped with a different panel. We suspect Huawei/Honor just uses different suppliers. The BOE panel in the MagicBook 14 is a good bit brighter at ~300 cd/m². The black value is also very low at 0.18, which results in a great contrast ratio of more than 1700:1. The brightness distribution is also very even (92%), so there is not much to criticize here, especially for the price.

We recommend you test the device first if you are sensitive to PWM flickering. At a brightness of 99% or lower, we can detect a flicker at 5952 Hz. This frequency is pretty high though, so most users should not have any issues. Backlight bleeding is not a big problem, you can only see brighter spots at the lower left corner and the bottom edge on a dark picture.

287
cd/m²		299
cd/m²		296
cd/m²
292
cd/m²		311
cd/m²		296
cd/m²
288
cd/m²		305
cd/m²		291
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
BOE CQ TV140FHM-NH1 tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 311 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 296.1 cd/m² Minimum: 3.6 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 92 %
Center on Battery: 308 cd/m²
Contrast: 1728:1 (Black: 0.18 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 5.3 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.94, calibrated: 4.2
ΔE Greyscale 3.5 | 0.5-98 Ø5.2
65.8% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
42.5% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
46.42% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
66.2% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
44.93% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.1
Honor Magicbook 14
BOE CQ TV140FHM-NH1, IPS, 1920x1080, 14"		Huawei MateBook D 14-53010TVS
Chi Mei CMN1404, IPS, 1920x1080, 14"		Asus ZenBook 14 UM431DA-AM020T
CEC PA LM140LF-3L03, IPS, 1920x1080, 14"		Lenovo ThinkBook 14-IML-20RV006TGE
Chi Mei, CMN14D4, N140HCA-EAC, IPS, 1920x1080, 14"		Dell Inspiron 14 3493-4KWCF
Chi Mei 140HCA, IPS, 1920x1080, 14"
Display
4%
44%
-4%
-7%
Display P3 Coverage
44.93
46.54
4%
66.7
48%
42.93
-4%
41.84
-7%
sRGB Coverage
66.2
69.8
5%
92.3
39%
64
-3%
62.3
-6%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
46.42
48.1
4%
67.5
45%
44.43
-4%
43.33
-7%
Response Times
114%
-18%
116%
-14%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
44.8 ?(24.4, 20.4)
41.2 ?(21.2, 20)
8%
36 ?(19, 17)
20%
40.8 ?(21.2, 19.6)
9%
41 ?(23, 18)
8%
Response Time Black / White *
34 ?(19.2, 14.8)
28.8 ?(16.4, 12.4)
15%
26 ?(15, 11)
24%
28 ?(15.6, 12.4)
18%
31 ?(18, 13)
9%
PWM Frequency
5952 ?(99)
25000 ?(30)
320%
44 ?(20)
-99%
25000 ?(60)
320%
2500 ?(20)
-58%
Screen
-5%
-11%
-63%
-9%
Brightness middle
311
250
-20%
253
-19%
256
-18%
226
-27%
Brightness
296
241
-19%
245
-17%
232
-22%
214
-28%
Brightness Distribution
92
94
2%
78
-15%
86
-7%
92
0%
Black Level *
0.18
0.22
-22%
0.225
-25%
0.96
-433%
0.17
6%
Contrast
1728
1136
-34%
1124
-35%
267
-85%
1329
-23%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
5.3
4.4
17%
8.89
-68%
6.5
-23%
5.21
2%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
18.5
19.7
-6%
4.56
75%
21.5
-16%
22.15
-20%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
4.2
4.2
-0%
4.9
-17%
4.8
-14%
4.43
-5%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
3.5
2.9
17%
6.33
-81%
5.7
-63%
3.27
7%
Gamma
2.1 105%
2.3 96%
2.52 87%
1.9 116%
2.36 93%
CCT
7078 92%
7045 92%
6745 96%
6282 103%
6538 99%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
42.5
44.3
4%
60
41%
40.9
-4%
40
-6%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
65.8
69.6
6%
91
38%
63.7
-3%
62
-6%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
38% / 18%
5% / -3%
16% / -21%
-10% / -9%

* ... smaller is better

Our analysis with the professional CalMAN software and the X-Rite i1 Pro 2 spectrophotometer reveals a slightly cool picture out of the box, and there is also a minor blue cast. However, this is only noticeable when you compare the Honor with a calibrated display. After our calibration, we can see a big improvement of the grayscale performance, and the color cast is also gone. The maximum brightness is not affected, either, so the calibration definitely pays off.

CalMAN Grayscale
CalMAN Grayscale
CalMAN Saturation Sweeps
CalMAN Saturation Sweeps
CalMAN ColorChecker
CalMAN ColorChecker
CalMAN Grayscale calibrated
CalMAN Grayscale calibrated
CalMAN Saturation calibrated
CalMAN Saturation calibrated
CalMAN ColorChecker calibrated
CalMAN ColorChecker calibrated

The color accuracy is another topic, and you just see that it is an inexpensive panel. The small sRGB color gamut is only covered by 65.8% and the color deviations are high, even after our calibration. This is no problem for everyday tasks, but the screen is not really suitable for picture/video editing.

vs. sRGB: 65.8 %
vs. sRGB: 65.8 %
vs. AdobeRGB: 42.5 %
vs. AdobeRGB: 42.5 %

Display Response Times

ℹ
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
34 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 19.2 ms rise
↘ 14.8 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. » 90 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.1 ms).
   ↔    Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
44.8 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 24.4 ms rise
↘ 20.4 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.165 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 74 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.1 ms).

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

ℹ
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 5952 Hz ≤ 99 % brightness setting

The display backlight flickers at 5952 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 99 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting.

The frequency of 5952 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 17204 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

There is no criticism for the viewing angle stability of the IPS panel. The matte screen surface helps outdoors, but the background illumination could be more powerful in bright environments. We recommend a place in the shade for a more comfortable viewing experience.

Performance – AMD Ryzen with Dual-Channel RAM

Processor – MagicBook 14 with Ryzen 5 3500U

The AMD Ryzen 5 3500U in the MagicBook 14 offers plenty of performance for common tasks, and the four processor cores can reach up to 3.7 GHz. Please see our tech section for more details on this CPU. Similar to the MateBook D 14, the TDP configuration is very decent. After a brief period with 30 Watts (4x 3.25 GHz), the value drops to 25 Watts (4x 3.0-3.1 GHz). After a little while, the so-called STAPM limit at 22W is activated, which is supposed to keep the surface temperatures from critical values. This is still sufficient for 4x 2.9-3.0 GHz, and the MagicBook can maintain this level during sustained workloads. The MagicBook 14 performs very well within the comparison group, only the ThinkBook 14 with the Core i5-10210U is a bit faster. The power consumption is limited to 22W on battery power, so the performance is a bit lower.

04080120160200240280320360400440480520560600640680720Tooltip
Honor Magicbook 14 AMD Ryzen 5 3500U, AMD Ryzen 5 3500U: Ø651 (646.48-668.95)
Huawei MateBook D 14-53010TVS AMD Ryzen 5 3500U, AMD Ryzen 5 3500U: Ø661 (656.73-674.67)
Asus ZenBook 14 UM431DA-AM020T AMD Ryzen 7 3700U, AMD Ryzen 7 3700U: Ø512 (499.03-642.87)
Lenovo ThinkBook 14-IML-20RV006TGE Intel Core i5-10210U, Intel Core i5-10210U: Ø669 (556.65-743.36)
Dell Inspiron 14 3493-4KWCF Intel Core i7-1065G7, Intel Core i7-1065G7: Ø585 (569.39-649.92)
Cinebench R20: CPU (Single Core) | CPU (Multi Core)
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
R Benchmark 2.5: Overall mean
Cinebench R20 / CPU (Single Core)
Average of class Subnotebook
  (128 - 790, n=56, last 2 years)
634 Points +72%
Lenovo ThinkBook 14-IML-20RV006TGE
Intel Core i5-10210U
421 Points +14%
Dell Inspiron 14 3493-4KWCF
Intel Core i7-1065G7
385 Points +4%
Honor Magicbook 14
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
369 Points
Average AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
  (317 - 372, n=15)
354 Points -4%
Huawei MateBook D 14-53010TVS
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
322 Points -13%
Huawei MateBook D 14-53010TVS
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
322 Points -13%
Cinebench R20 / CPU (Multi Core)
Average of class Subnotebook
  (579 - 8541, n=56, last 2 years)
4601 Points +208%
Lenovo ThinkBook 14-IML-20RV006TGE
Intel Core i5-10210U
1652 Points +11%
Huawei MateBook D 14-53010TVS
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
1507 Points +1%
Huawei MateBook D 14-53010TVS
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
1507 Points +1%
Honor Magicbook 14
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
1492 Points
Dell Inspiron 14 3493-4KWCF
Intel Core i7-1065G7
1448 Points -3%
Average AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
  (1063 - 1540, n=15)
1436 Points -4%
Cinebench R15 / CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Subnotebook
  (72.4 - 307, n=57, last 2 years)
248 Points +71%
Dell Inspiron 14 3493-4KWCF
Intel Core i7-1065G7
182 Points +26%
Lenovo ThinkBook 14-IML-20RV006TGE
Intel Core i5-10210U
168 Points +16%
Honor Magicbook 14
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
145 Points
Huawei MateBook D 14-53010TVS
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
144 Points -1%
Average AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
  (131 - 147, n=18)
142.4 Points -2%
Asus ZenBook 14 UM431DA-AM020T
AMD Ryzen 7 3700U
133 Points -8%
Cinebench R15 / CPU Multi 64Bit
Average of class Subnotebook
  (327 - 3345, n=62, last 2 years)
2009 Points +201%
Lenovo ThinkBook 14-IML-20RV006TGE
Intel Core i5-10210U
743 (625.37min - 699.41max) Points +11%
Huawei MateBook D 14-53010TVS
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
674 (644.06min - 673.71max) Points +1%
Honor Magicbook 14
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
668 (646.48min - 668.95max) Points
Dell Inspiron 14 3493-4KWCF
Intel Core i7-1065G7
650 Points -3%
Asus ZenBook 14 UM431DA-AM020T
AMD Ryzen 7 3700U
642 Points -4%
Average AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
  (482 - 682, n=19)
642 Points -4%
Blender / v2.79 BMW27 CPU
Average AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
  (680 - 796, n=10)
704 Seconds * -0%
Honor Magicbook 14
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
703 Seconds *
Huawei MateBook D 14-53010TVS
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
694 Seconds * +1%
Huawei MateBook D 14-53010TVS
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
694 Seconds * +1%
Lenovo ThinkBook 14-IML-20RV006TGE
Intel Core i5-10210U
651 Seconds * +7%
Average of class Subnotebook
  (159 - 2271, n=60, last 2 years)
355 Seconds * +50%
7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4 -mmt1
Average of class Subnotebook
  (2669 - 6403, n=55, last 2 years)
5477 MIPS +54%
Lenovo ThinkBook 14-IML-20RV006TGE
Intel Core i5-10210U
4176 MIPS +17%
Honor Magicbook 14
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
3555 MIPS
Huawei MateBook D 14-53010TVS
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
3553 MIPS 0%
Huawei MateBook D 14-53010TVS
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
3553 MIPS 0%
Average AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
  (3502 - 3580, n=10)
3541 MIPS 0%
7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4
Average of class Subnotebook
  (11775 - 77867, n=53, last 2 years)
49673 MIPS +184%
Lenovo ThinkBook 14-IML-20RV006TGE
Intel Core i5-10210U
19026 MIPS +9%
Honor Magicbook 14
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
17508 MIPS
Huawei MateBook D 14-53010TVS
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
17035 MIPS -3%
Huawei MateBook D 14-53010TVS
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
17035 MIPS -3%
Average AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
  (15825 - 17508, n=10)
16929 MIPS -3%
Geekbench 5.5 / Single-Core
Average of class Subnotebook
  (621 - 2350, n=56, last 2 years)
1770 Points +96%
Lenovo ThinkBook 14-IML-20RV006TGE
Intel Core i5-10210U
1092 Points +21%
Honor Magicbook 14
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
904 Points
Huawei MateBook D 14-53010TVS
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
902 Points 0%
Huawei MateBook D 14-53010TVS
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
902 Points 0%
Average AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
  (777 - 909, n=9)
886 Points -2%
Geekbench 5.5 / Multi-Core
Average of class Subnotebook
  (2557 - 14728, n=56, last 2 years)
10175 Points +223%
Lenovo ThinkBook 14-IML-20RV006TGE
Intel Core i5-10210U
3324 Points +5%
Huawei MateBook D 14-53010TVS
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
3234 Points +3%
Huawei MateBook D 14-53010TVS
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
3234 Points +3%
Honor Magicbook 14
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
3154 Points
Average AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
  (2543 - 3269, n=9)
3097 Points -2%
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2 / 4k Preset
Average of class Subnotebook
  (0.97 - 25.1, n=55, last 2 years)
13.1 fps +228%
Lenovo ThinkBook 14-IML-20RV006TGE
Intel Core i5-10210U
5.26 fps +32%
Huawei MateBook D 14-53010TVS
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
4.04 fps +1%
Huawei MateBook D 14-53010TVS
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
4.04 fps +1%
Honor Magicbook 14
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
3.99 fps
Average AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
  (3.35 - 4.15, n=10)
3.94 fps -1%
R Benchmark 2.5 / Overall mean
Average AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
  (0.734 - 0.804, n=8)
0.749 sec * -2%
Huawei MateBook D 14-53010TVS
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
0.734 sec * -0%
Huawei MateBook D 14-53010TVS
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
0.734 sec * -0%
Honor Magicbook 14
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
0.734 sec *
Lenovo ThinkBook 14-IML-20RV006TGE
Intel Core i5-10210U
0.708 sec * +4%
Lenovo ThinkBook 14-IML-20RV006TGE
Intel Core i5-10210U
0.708 sec * +4%
Average of class Subnotebook
  (0.413 - 1.456, n=55, last 2 years)
0.52 sec * +29%

* ... smaller is better

Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
668 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
51.7 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
98 %
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
145 Points
Help

System Performance

The MagicBook 14 leaves a very good impression in the synthetic benchmarks as well as the subjective performance impression. The system quickly executes inputs and everything runs very smoothly. We also like the preloaded PC Manager, which supports a very simple hardware scan as well as update of the drivers. We did not notice any problems during our review period.

PCMark 10 | PCMark 8
PCMark 10
Score
Average of class Subnotebook
  (4993 - 7788, n=48, last 2 years)
6424 Points +66%
Dell Inspiron 14 3493-4KWCF
GeForce MX230, i7-1065G7, Toshiba KBG40ZNS512G NVMe
3862 Points 0%
Honor Magicbook 14
Vega 8, R5 3500U, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB256HBHQ
3862 Points
Asus ZenBook 14 UM431DA-AM020T
Vega 10, R7 3700U, SK hynix BC501 HFM512GDHTNG-8310A
3851 Points 0%
Huawei MateBook D 14-53010TVS
Vega 8, R5 3500U, WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G
3818 Points -1%
Average AMD Ryzen 5 3500U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (3485 - 3972, n=16)
3766 Points -2%
Lenovo ThinkBook 14-IML-20RV006TGE
UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB256HBHQ
3757 Points -3%
Essentials
Average of class Subnotebook
  (9668 - 11331, n=48, last 2 years)
10529 Points +40%
Dell Inspiron 14 3493-4KWCF
GeForce MX230, i7-1065G7, Toshiba KBG40ZNS512G NVMe
8415 Points +12%
Asus ZenBook 14 UM431DA-AM020T
Vega 10, R7 3700U, SK hynix BC501 HFM512GDHTNG-8310A
7685 Points +2%
Huawei MateBook D 14-53010TVS
Vega 8, R5 3500U, WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G
7596 Points +1%
Honor Magicbook 14
Vega 8, R5 3500U, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB256HBHQ
7544 Points
Average AMD Ryzen 5 3500U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (6690 - 8300, n=16)
7533 Points 0%
Lenovo ThinkBook 14-IML-20RV006TGE
UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB256HBHQ
7172 Points -5%
Productivity
Average of class Subnotebook
  (6440 - 10623, n=48, last 2 years)
8590 Points +45%
Dell Inspiron 14 3493-4KWCF
GeForce MX230, i7-1065G7, Toshiba KBG40ZNS512G NVMe
6868 Points +16%
Lenovo ThinkBook 14-IML-20RV006TGE
UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB256HBHQ
6281 Points +6%
Honor Magicbook 14
Vega 8, R5 3500U, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB256HBHQ
5931 Points
Asus ZenBook 14 UM431DA-AM020T
Vega 10, R7 3700U, SK hynix BC501 HFM512GDHTNG-8310A
5823 Points -2%
Average AMD Ryzen 5 3500U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (5456 - 6074, n=16)
5774 Points -3%
Huawei MateBook D 14-53010TVS
Vega 8, R5 3500U, WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G
5734 Points -3%
Digital Content Creation
Average of class Subnotebook
  (5305 - 10983, n=48, last 2 years)
8033 Points +130%
Honor Magicbook 14
Vega 8, R5 3500U, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB256HBHQ
3494 Points
Huawei MateBook D 14-53010TVS
Vega 8, R5 3500U, WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G
3467 Points -1%
Asus ZenBook 14 UM431DA-AM020T
Vega 10, R7 3700U, SK hynix BC501 HFM512GDHTNG-8310A
3466 Points -1%
Average AMD Ryzen 5 3500U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (2989 - 3526, n=16)
3337 Points -4%
Lenovo ThinkBook 14-IML-20RV006TGE
UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB256HBHQ
3195 Points -9%
Dell Inspiron 14 3493-4KWCF
GeForce MX230, i7-1065G7, Toshiba KBG40ZNS512G NVMe
2706 Points -23%
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Honor Magicbook 14
Vega 8, R5 3500U, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB256HBHQ
4235 Points
Lenovo ThinkBook 14-IML-20RV006TGE
UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB256HBHQ
3722 Points -12%
Huawei MateBook D 14-53010TVS
Vega 8, R5 3500U, WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G
3669 Points -13%
Asus ZenBook 14 UM431DA-AM020T
Vega 10, R7 3700U, SK hynix BC501 HFM512GDHTNG-8310A
3604 Points -15%
Average AMD Ryzen 5 3500U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (3316 - 4235, n=13)
3600 Points -15%
Dell Inspiron 14 3493-4KWCF
GeForce MX230, i7-1065G7, Toshiba KBG40ZNS512G NVMe
3355 Points -21%
Average of class Subnotebook
  (1739 - 4730, n=2, last 2 years)
3235 Points -24%
Work Score Accelerated v2
Honor Magicbook 14
Vega 8, R5 3500U, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB256HBHQ
5039 Points
Dell Inspiron 14 3493-4KWCF
GeForce MX230, i7-1065G7, Toshiba KBG40ZNS512G NVMe
4955 Points -2%
Lenovo ThinkBook 14-IML-20RV006TGE
UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB256HBHQ
4922 Points -2%
Asus ZenBook 14 UM431DA-AM020T
Vega 10, R7 3700U, SK hynix BC501 HFM512GDHTNG-8310A
4842 Points -4%
Huawei MateBook D 14-53010TVS
Vega 8, R5 3500U, WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G
4772 Points -5%
Average AMD Ryzen 5 3500U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (4436 - 5039, n=12)
4707 Points -7%
Average of class Subnotebook
  (1609 - 5271, n=2, last 2 years)
3440 Points -32%
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
4235 points
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2
5141 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
5039 points
PCMark 10 Score
3862 points
Help

DPC-Latenzen

LatencyMon Main
LatencyMon Main
LatencyMon Drivers
LatencyMon Drivers
DPC Latencies / LatencyMon - interrupt to process latency (max), Web, Youtube, Prime95
Honor Magicbook 14
Vega 8, R5 3500U, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB256HBHQ
1519 μs *

* ... smaller is better

Storage Devices – MagicBook with Samsung PCIe-SSD

Replaceable M.2-2280-SSD
Replaceable M.2-2280-SSD

The MagicBook 14 is equipped with an M.2-2280 PCIe-SSD, but we were a bit surprised that it is a very fast PM981a SSD from Samsung considering the low price point. However, it is possible the manufacturer uses different suppliers, because the MateBook D 14, for example, was equipped with a 512 GB SSD from WDC. This is also one difference to the test model from Huawei, because the storage capacity of the Samsung SSD is just 256 GB, and about 190 GB are available for the user. However, we did not like the factory partition. The system drive (C) only has a free capacity of 48 GB, while the data partition (D) has 142 GB. There is nothing to criticize in terms of performance of the drive though.

Honor Magicbook 14
Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB256HBHQ		Huawei MateBook D 14-53010TVS
WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G		Asus ZenBook 14 UM431DA-AM020T
SK hynix BC501 HFM512GDHTNG-8310A		Lenovo ThinkBook 14-IML-20RV006TGE
Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB256HBHQ		Dell Inspiron 14 3493-4KWCF
Toshiba KBG40ZNS512G NVMe		Average Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB256HBHQ
 
CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6
0%
-34%
8%
1%
3%
Write 4K
137.7
145.4
6%
118.8
-14%
169.7
23%
159.6
16%
135.2 ?(87.2 - 169.7, n=15)
-2%
Read 4K
42.49
46.25
9%
41.62
-2%
47.6
12%
53.5
26%
44.6 ?(36 - 58.2, n=15)
5%
Write Seq
2341
2583
10%
796
-66%
1761
-25%
1174
-50%
2091 ?(1761 - 2343, n=14)
-11%
Read Seq
2436
2141
-12%
1101
-55%
1630
-33%
1648
-32%
2097 ?(1359 - 2516, n=14)
-14%
Write 4K Q32T1
261
239.5
-8%
234.7
-10%
390.5
50%
420.8
61%
370 ?(208 - 526, n=15)
42%
Read 4K Q32T1
335.4
340
1%
313.8
-6%
464.9
39%
564
68%
372 ?(149.5 - 514, n=15)
11%
Write Seq Q32T1
2343
2701
15%
842
-64%
2347
0%
1231
-47%
2308 ?(1896 - 2354, n=15)
-1%
Read Seq Q32T1
3569
2871
-20%
1645
-54%
3505
-2%
2274
-36%
3395 ?(2268 - 3569, n=15)
-5%
AS SSD
45%
-4%
56%
-58%
12%
Seq Read
2591
2263
-13%
1417
-45%
2501
-3%
2074
-20%
2276 ?(992 - 2980, n=15)
-12%
Seq Write
2133
2255
6%
781
-63%
2051
-4%
775
-64%
1486 ?(391 - 2187, n=15)
-30%
4K Read
50
40.36
-19%
37.03
-26%
60.3
21%
37.81
-24%
49.6 ?(40.3 - 60.3, n=15)
-1%
4K Write
95.7
116.9
22%
80.1
-16%
131.5
37%
101.3
6%
129.5 ?(78 - 188.4, n=15)
35%
4K-64 Read
607
1282
111%
740
22%
873
44%
1265
108%
683 ?(504 - 947, n=15)
13%
4K-64 Write
482.6
1224
154%
748
55%
1565
224%
383.5
-21%
895 ?(282 - 1970, n=15)
85%
Access Time Read *
0.075
0.074
1%
0.047
37%
0.046
39%
0.081
-8%
0.06433 ?(0.046 - 0.089, n=15)
14%
Access Time Write *
0.034
0.039
-15%
0.045
-32%
0.027
21%
0.263
-674%
0.04793 ?(0.022 - 0.104, n=15)
-41%
Score Read
916
1549
69%
918
0%
1184
29%
1510
65%
960 ?(733 - 1212, n=15)
5%
Score Write
792
1566
98%
906
14%
1902
140%
562
-29%
1173 ?(593 - 2214, n=15)
48%
Score Total
2168
3909
80%
2270
5%
3685
70%
2781
28%
2598 ?(1649 - 3862, n=15)
20%
Copy ISO MB/s
1306
716
1474 ?(1008 - 1962, n=10)
Copy Program MB/s
365.8
335.4
426 ?(71 - 847, n=10)
Copy Game MB/s
434.9
484.8
760 ?(278 - 1632, n=10)
Total Average (Program / Settings)
23% / 26%
-19% / -17%
32% / 36%
-29% / -33%
8% / 8%

* ... smaller is better

CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6
AS SSD
DiskSpd
hddimg
Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB256HBHQ
CDM 5/6 Read Seq Q32T1: 3569 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write Seq Q32T1: 2343 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K Q32T1: 335.4 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K Q32T1: 261 MB/s
CDM 5 Read Seq: 2436 MB/s
CDM 5 Write Seq: 2341 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K: 42.49 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K: 137.7 MB/s

GPU Performance - Vega 8 benefits from Dual-Channel RAM

GPU-Z Radeon Vega 8
GPU-Z Radeon Vega 8

The AMD processor is equipped with the integrated Vega 8 GPU, which benefits from the dual-channel memory configuration of the MagicBook 14. Our test unit can take the lead in the GPU benchmarks, and the iGPU is a perfect solution for daily tasks including high resolution video playback. Even some gaming is possible, though you will have to reduce the details. The notebook does not pass the 3DMark Fire Strike stress test, but is close at 96%. The effects are not noticeable during gaming, which is also shown by our Witcher 3 loop (in this case High preset). Similar to the processor, the GPU performance is slightly limited on battery power (-3%).

3DMark 11 | 3DMark
3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU
Average of class Subnotebook
  (968 - 16904, n=52, last 2 years)
9784 Points +145%
Honor Magicbook 14
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
3994 Points
Huawei MateBook D 14-53010TVS
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
3908 Points -2%
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (1668 - 4317, n=44)
3447 Points -14%
Asus ZenBook 14 UM431DA-AM020T
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, AMD Ryzen 7 3700U
3389 Points -15%
Dell Inspiron 14 3493-4KWCF
NVIDIA GeForce MX230, Intel Core i7-1065G7
3180 Points -20%
Lenovo ThinkBook 14-IML-20RV006TGE
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-10210U
1680 Points -58%
3DMark
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Average of class Subnotebook
  (832 - 12349, n=56, last 2 years)
6992 Points +163%
Honor Magicbook 14
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
2655 Points
Huawei MateBook D 14-53010TVS
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
2598 Points -2%
Asus ZenBook 14 UM431DA-AM020T
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, AMD Ryzen 7 3700U
2272 Points -14%
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (1095 - 2901, n=41)
2224 Points -16%
Dell Inspiron 14 3493-4KWCF
NVIDIA GeForce MX230, Intel Core i7-1065G7
2168 Points -18%
Lenovo ThinkBook 14-IML-20RV006TGE
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-10210U
968 Points -64%
2560x1440 Time Spy Graphics
Average of class Subnotebook
  (999 - 4773, n=57, last 2 years)
2554 Points +224%
Honor Magicbook 14
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
788 Points
Dell Inspiron 14 3493-4KWCF
NVIDIA GeForce MX230, Intel Core i7-1065G7
698 Points -11%
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (523 - 790, n=23)
673 Points -15%
Lenovo ThinkBook 14-IML-20RV006TGE
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-10210U
348 Points -56%
3DMark 11 Performance
4095 points
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score
66654 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
2419 points
3DMark Time Spy Score
882 points
Help
051015Tooltip
Honor Magicbook 14 Vega 8, R5 3500U, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB256HBHQ: Ø16.4 (14-20)
low med. high ultra
The Witcher 3 (2015) 47.4 16.4
Dota 2 Reborn (2015) 72 65.4 39.8 37.3
X-Plane 11.11 (2018) 28.1 20.6 18.1
Far Cry 5 (2018) 31 14
F1 2019 (2019) 54 23 20 16

Emissions – Honor Laptop stays cool and quiet

System Noise

Single fan
Single fan

The single fan of the MagicBook 14 is very quiet in everyday scenarios and often completely silent when you perform simple tasks. You can hardly hear the fan at its lowest rpm level, only sustained or more intense workloads (like longer installation of applications) will result in a more audible murmur at 32-33 dB(A). The MagicBook 14 is basically identical to the MateBook D 14, but we managed to get a louder fan noise (35.3 dB(A)) at extreme load after about 15 minutes. However, this is limited to extreme scenarios, but we did not get to this stage during gaming, for example. The fan noise is not annoying, either, and we did not hear any other electronic noises.

Noise Level

Idle
29.6 / 29.6 / 29.6 dB(A)
Load
30.8 / 35.3 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: 29.6 dB(A)
Honor Magicbook 14
Vega 8, R5 3500U, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB256HBHQ		Huawei MateBook D 14-53010TVS
Vega 8, R5 3500U, WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G		Asus ZenBook 14 UM431DA-AM020T
Vega 10, R7 3700U, SK hynix BC501 HFM512GDHTNG-8310A		Lenovo ThinkBook 14-IML-20RV006TGE
UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB256HBHQ		Dell Inspiron 14 3493-4KWCF
GeForce MX230, i7-1065G7, Toshiba KBG40ZNS512G NVMe
Noise
1%
-3%
3%
-12%
off / environment *
29.6
29.6
-0%
29.8
-1%
29.2
1%
30.3
-2%
Idle Minimum *
29.6
29.6
-0%
28
5%
29.2
1%
30.3
-2%
Idle Average *
29.6
29.6
-0%
28
5%
29.2
1%
30.3
-2%
Idle Maximum *
29.6
29.6
-0%
28
5%
29.6
-0%
30.3
-2%
Load Average *
30.8
30.7
-0%
36.8
-19%
30.2
2%
42.9
-39%
Load Maximum *
35.3
33.3
6%
39
-10%
31.8
10%
43.3
-23%

* ... smaller is better

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2029.828.34339.232.229.82527.128.530.243.634.428.53132.634.136.443.340.534.14030.131.131.639.831.528.45033.535.73536.532.934.16326.526.723.627.325.226.28024.824.722.425.223.52310027.227.926.92926.528.5125242323.826.123.823.816024.524.925.625.925.424.620023.223.924.225.424.323.925022.622.722.923.123.722.631521.921.121.721.922.921.840021.821.521.321.621.322.350022.220.82122.320.223.563021.320.920.320.119.323.180020.619.919.219.419.121.9100021.420.820.220.118.323.6125021.4201918.617.223.3160021.3201918.316.723.6200023.121.319.618.816.625.2250023.421.719.819.11625.5315020.919.217.71715.723.5400020.618.917.416.615.423.4500020.718.716.716.215.423.8630018.616.916.21615.722.2800016.515.915.815.915.717.91000015.815.715.715.615.516.41250015.515.515.515.515.415.71600015.515.415.315.415.215.5SPL33.231.930.930.829.635.3N1.81.61.51.51.32.3median 21.4median 20.8median 19.6median 19.1median 17.2median 23.4Delta2.11.72.73.43.51.8hearing rangehide median Fan NoiseHonor Magicbook 14

Temperature

Stress test
Stress test

Due to the single fan, the temperature increase under load is limited to one side of the chassis, but the maximum temperatures of ~40 °C (104°F) at the top and 44 °C (111.2 °F) at the bottom are not critical. The metal chassis will stay comfortably cool during light workloads. We can once again see that the power consumption of the processor levels off at 22W during the stress test, which results in 4x 1.8 GHz (CPU) and 380 MHz (GPU).

Max. Load
 40.2 °C
104 F		39.7 °C
103 F		32.1 °C
90 F		 
 38.6 °C
101 F		37.4 °C
99 F		28.1 °C
83 F		 
 31.6 °C
89 F		27.7 °C
82 F		25.5 °C
78 F		 
Maximum: 40.2 °C = 104 F
Average: 33.4 °C = 92 F
32 °C
90 F		43.3 °C
110 F		43.8 °C
111 F
27.5 °C
82 F		40.2 °C
104 F		41 °C
106 F
25.1 °C
77 F		31.2 °C
88 F		31.6 °C
89 F
Maximum: 43.8 °C = 111 F
Average: 35.1 °C = 95 F
Power Supply (max.)  46.5 °C = 116 F | Room Temperature 20.6 °C = 69 F | Voltcraft IR-900
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 33.4 °C / 92 F, compared to the average of 30.8 °C / 87 F for the devices in the class Subnotebook.
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 40.2 °C / 104 F, compared to the average of 36.1 °C / 97 F, ranging from 21.4 to 281 °C for the class Subnotebook.
(±) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 43.8 °C / 111 F, compared to the average of 39.4 °C / 103 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 24.1 °C / 75 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 31.6 °C / 88.9 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.3 °C / 82.9 F (-3.3 °C / -6 F).
Surface temperatures stress test (top)
Surface temperatures stress test (top)
Surface temperatures stress test (bottom)
Surface temperatures stress test (bottom)

Speakers

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2032.232.22534.435.83140.533.54031.539.65032.942.66325.227.48023.526.310026.530.612523.830.416025.440.520024.349.225023.750.631522.953.240021.357.850020.259.163019.363.980019.166.1100018.364125017.266.3160016.761.7200016.659.925001659.3315015.756.2400015.460.3500015.455.9630015.755.8800015.752.21000015.545.11250015.443.11600015.243SPL29.673.2N1.330.6median 17.2median 55.9Delta3.57.933.733.733.735.534.135.530.830.930.830.82930.828.72928.728.427.228.431.326.431.341.524.241.547.124.547.148.324.548.345.822.545.85321.75361.820.261.865.619.265.665.318.565.363.318.863.365.11865.166.417.466.466.917.366.969.51769.568.917.168.963.716.963.760.117.260.16017.46057.717.657.757.517.757.554.217.854.25117.75151.617.551.653.917.553.976.729.976.737.31.337.3median 60median 17.7median 607.11.67.1hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseHonor Magicbook 14Asus ZenBook 14 UM431DA-AM020T
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Honor Magicbook 14 audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (73.2 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 13.5% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (11.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 6.4% higher than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (7.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.2% away from median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (8.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (23.1% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 77% of all tested devices in this class were better, 3% similar, 20% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 19%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 65% of all tested devices were better, 6% similar, 29% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Asus ZenBook 14 UM431DA-AM020T audio analysis

(-) | not very loud speakers (69.4 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 11% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (14% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 6.4% higher than median
(+) | mids are linear (3.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.3% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (6% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (18.4% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 51% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 42% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 19%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 36% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 56% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Energy Management – MagicBook with good stamina

Power Consumption

We cannot see big differences compared to the MateBook D 14 in the consumption measurements and the 65W power adapter is sufficient. By the way, the power adapter is completely identical to the models you get with Huawei notebooks.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.38 / 0.67 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 5.2 / 7.7 / 9.3 Watt
Load midlight 40.3 / 48 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.
Honor Magicbook 14
R5 3500U, Vega 8, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB256HBHQ, IPS, 1920x1080, 14"		Huawei MateBook D 14-53010TVS
R5 3500U, Vega 8, WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G, IPS, 1920x1080, 14"		Asus ZenBook 14 UM431DA-AM020T
R7 3700U, Vega 10, SK hynix BC501 HFM512GDHTNG-8310A, IPS, 1920x1080, 14"		Lenovo ThinkBook 14-IML-20RV006TGE
i5-10210U, UHD Graphics 620, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB256HBHQ, IPS, 1920x1080, 14"		Dell Inspiron 14 3493-4KWCF
i7-1065G7, GeForce MX230, Toshiba KBG40ZNS512G NVMe, IPS, 1920x1080, 14"		Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
 		Average of class Subnotebook
 
Power Consumption
3%
7%
22%
-1%
-4%
-12%
Idle Minimum *
5.2
5.2
-0%
3.6
31%
2.94
43%
4.7
10%
5.68 ?(3.7 - 11.5, n=42)
-9%
4.6 ?(1.4 - 9.3, n=57, last 2 years)
12%
Idle Average *
7.7
7.7
-0%
7.2
6%
5.2
32%
6.6
14%
8.75 ?(5.86 - 21.8, n=42)
-14%
7.86 ?(4.4 - 16, n=57, last 2 years)
-2%
Idle Maximum *
9.3
8.7
6%
10.8
-16%
5.96
36%
5.9
37%
10.1 ?(6.36 - 22.2, n=42)
-9%
9.65 ?(4.6 - 16.8, n=57, last 2 years)
-4%
Load Average *
40.3
35.4
12%
38
6%
28.2
30%
56
-39%
37.8 ?(24.1 - 55.3, n=42)
6%
47.8 ?(19.1 - 83.3, n=55, last 2 years)
-19%
Load Maximum *
48
48.3
-1%
45.2
6%
62.2
-30%
60.2
-25%
46.2 ?(26.5 - 65.6, n=42)
4%
69.8 ?(24.2 - 121.2, n=57, last 2 years)
-45%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Runtime

56-Wh battery
56-Wh battery

The 56 Wh battery enables long battery runtimes of 11 hours in our video test and almost 9.5 hours in our Wi-Fi test (both at an adjusted luminance of 150 nits). When we use the maximum brightness, the runtime in the Wi-Fi test drops by more than one hour. Our load test stops after 100 minutes.

We do notice the extremely long Wi-Fi runtime of the basically identical MateBook D 14. It seems there has been a problem in the previous review, because the runtime of the MagicBook 14 appears much more realistic.

A complete recharge takes 120 minutes when the device is turned on; 50% of the capacity is available after around 37 minutes.

Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing (Edge 44.18362.449.0)
9h 30min
WiFi Websurfing max. Brightness (Edge 44.18362.449.0)
8h 21min
Big Buck Bunny H.264 1080p
11h 01min
Load (maximum brightness)
1h 40min
Honor Magicbook 14
R5 3500U, Vega 8, 56 Wh		Huawei MateBook D 14-53010TVS
R5 3500U, Vega 8, 56 Wh		Asus ZenBook 14 UM431DA-AM020T
R7 3700U, Vega 10, 47 Wh		Lenovo ThinkBook 14-IML-20RV006TGE
i5-10210U, UHD Graphics 620, 45 Wh		Dell Inspiron 14 3493-4KWCF
i7-1065G7, GeForce MX230, 42 Wh		Average of class Subnotebook
 
Battery Runtime
22%
-2%
-17%
-19%
25%
H.264
661
674
2%
522
-21%
518
-22%
887 ?(527 - 1251, n=27, last 2 years)
34%
WiFi v1.3
570
862
51%
404
-29%
515
-10%
390
-32%
706 ?(389 - 1585, n=58, last 2 years)
24%
Load
100
113
13%
125
25%
79
-21%
98
-2%
116.2 ?(57 - 197, n=46, last 2 years)
16%

Pros

+ high-quality and sturdy chassis
+ decent input devices
+ very good system performance
+ matte IPS screen
+ long battery runtime
+ fingerprint scanner

Cons

- limited maintenance
- position of the webcam
- limited color gamut and high color deviations

Verdict – MagicBook 14 is price-performance king

In review: Honor MagicBook 14. Test model courtesy of Honor Germany
In review: Honor MagicBook 14. Test model courtesy of Honor Germany

After the Huawei MateBook D 14 already left a good impression during our review, we are also convinced by the similarly constructed Honor MagicBook 14. The only real difference between the two test units is the storage capacity of the SSD, but in return, the less expensive even offers a brighter panel as well as a faster NVMe-SSD from Samsung. Except for the chassis color, the two devices are otherwise identical, starting with the good metal case, the ports, the input devices, all the way to the performance.

In our opinion, the MagicBook 14 clearly surpasses the expectations you can have for a laptop in this price range. Except for some small drawbacks (like the port equipment), the Honor notebook could also keep up with much more expensive devices.

Except for the smaller hard drive, there are no drawbacks compared to the test unit of the similarly constructed MateBook D 14. The Honor MagicBook 14 is hard to beat for a price of just 599 Euros (~$648).

The lower price is definitely an advantage for the Honor MagicBook 14. If you don't need a dedicated GPU and just need a good notebook for daily tasks, we can easily recommend the MagicBook 14, because there are just small compromises despite the low price.

Honor Magicbook 14 - 05/15/2020 v7 (old)
Andreas Osthoff

Chassis
84 / 98 → 85%
Keyboard
87%
Pointing Device
91%
Connectivity
46 / 75 → 62%
Weight
70 / 20-75 → 92%
Battery
88%
Display
84%
Games Performance
58 / 78 → 74%
Application Performance
83 / 85 → 98%
Temperature
92%
Noise
98%
Audio
65 / 91 → 71%
Camera
42 / 85 → 49%
Average
76%
87%
Subnotebook - Weighted Average

Price comparison

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Honor Magicbook 14 Laptop Review: A better version of the MateBook D 14?
Andreas Osthoff, 2020-05-17 (Update: 2021-11-10)