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Huawei MateBook 13 (2020) review - A Ryzen laptop isn't always the better choice

Attractive but short-lived. Comparatively compact and even cheaper than the Intel version, the MateBook 13 presents itself configured with an AMD chipset. Our review will clarify who would nonetheless be better off investing a bit more money.

We already reviewed the Intel version of this year's MateBook 13 from Huawei; now the AMD Ryzen variant has to prove itself as well. The two models are very similar on the data sheet, but the AMD version has the faster RAM and, according to the manufacturer, shorter battery life.

Due to the similarities with the Intel model, we won't go into the sections regarding the case, connectivity, display and speakers in this review, but we will focus on the differing aspects instead. These turned out to be greater than we would have expected.

One big advantage of the AMD laptop is already certain: It's cheaper than the Intel model. If 256 GB of NVMe storage is enough for you, then you can get this configuration for 749 Euros (~$843); the model with 512 GB costs 799 Euros (~$899).

Huawei MateBook 13 2020 AMD (MateBook Series)
Processor
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U 4 x 2.1 - 3.7 GHz, Picasso-U (Zen+)
Memory
8 GB 
, Samsung, LPDDR4, 2400 MHz
Display
13.00 inch 3:2, 2160 x 1440 pixel 200 PPI, Chi Mei CMN8201 P130ZFA-BA1, IPS, glossy: yes, 60 Hz
Mainboard
AMD Promontory/Bixby FCH
Storage
WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G, 512 GB 
, 422.2 GB free
Soundcard
AMD Rave/Renoir - Audio Processor - HD Audio Controller
Connections
2 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 DisplayPort, Audio Connections: combined headphone and microphone connector (3.5 mm jack), 1 Fingerprint Reader, NFC, Brightness Sensor, Sensors: heat sensor and hall sensor
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): 14.9 x 286 x 211 ( = 0.59 x 11.26 x 8.31 in)
Battery
41.7 Wh, 3660 mAh Lithium-Polymer, 11.4 V, Battery runtime (according to manufacturer): 7.5 h
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Primary Camera: 1 MPix
Additional features
Speakers: stereo, Keyboard: chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, 65-watt power adapter (USB Type-C), USB cable, USB-C to USB-A adapter, quick-start guide, 24 Months Warranty, Huawei Share, PC Manager
Weight
1.317 kg ( = 46.46 oz / 2.9 pounds), Power Supply: 198 g ( = 6.98 oz / 0.44 pounds)
Price
799 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
Best Price
84 %
07/2020
Huawei MateBook 13 2020 AMD
R5 3500U, Vega 8
1.3 kg14.9 mm13.00"2160x1440
84.4 %
06/2020
Huawei MateBook 13 2020 i5
i5-10210U, UHD Graphics 620
1.3 kg14.9 mm13.00"2160x1440
88 %
04/2020
Apple MacBook Air 2020 i5
i5-1030NG7, Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU)
1.3 kg16.1 mm13.30"2560x1600
88.8 %
03/2020
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
i5-1035G1, UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU)
1.2 kg14.8 mm13.40"1920x1200
85.9 %
06/2020
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-52AS
i5-1035G4, Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU)
1.2 kg16.6 mm13.50"2256x1504

Communication - Wi-Fi 5 and Huawei Share in the MateBook 13

EMUI Desktop via Huawei Share
EMUI Desktop via Huawei Share

With the Realtek 8822CE, the MateBook 13 (2020) has a Wi-Fi 5 WLAN module that works in both 2.4 and 5.0 GHz networks. Thanks to the integrated MIMO antenna technology, the AMD version of the MateBook also achieves similar transfer speeds to our Netgear Nighthawk AX12 reference router as the Intel model. Since Huawei only uses VHT80, the transfer rates are significantly lower than those of the competitors with Wi-Fi 6. The range is convincing in the test and is at an identical level as the i5 version that we reviewed.

One practical feature is Huawei Share, which is compatible with Huawei smartphones starting from EMUI 8.0 or with Honor smartphones starting from Magic UI 2.1. As a result, the respective mobile phone can be effortlessly coupled with the laptop via NFC or through a search process and be easily used as a hotspot for the laptop; the established WLAN can also be used to quickly back up photos and videos. Starting from EMUI 9.1, any kind of data can be exchanged (OneHop), which was no problem with the Huawei P10 in our test. Smartphones with the latest OS version, EMUI 10.1, have the greatest range of features; in this way, among other things, the cache of the connected devices can be synchronized to allow multi-screen collaboration, in which the smartphone is controlled in windowed mode on the laptop and data can be exchanged easily via drag-and-drop.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Average of class Subnotebook
  (606 - 1339, n=3, last 2 years)
1056 MBit/s +59%
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
Intel Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650s
906 MBit/s +36%
Huawei MateBook 13 2020 i5
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
708 (684min - 720max) MBit/s +6%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-52AS
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
696 (679min - 711max) MBit/s +5%
Huawei MateBook 13 2020 AMD
Realtek 8822CE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCI-E NIC
666 (328min - 692max) MBit/s
Average Realtek 8822CE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCI-E NIC
  (87 - 690, n=29)
618 MBit/s -7%
Apple MacBook Air 2020 i5
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
550 (546min - 561max) MBit/s -17%
iperf3 receive AX12
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
Intel Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650s
1460 MBit/s +124%
Average of class Subnotebook
  (623 - 1690, n=3, last 2 years)
1258 MBit/s +93%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-52AS
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
870 (832min - 928max) MBit/s +33%
Huawei MateBook 13 2020 AMD
Realtek 8822CE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCI-E NIC
652 (639min - 661max) MBit/s
Huawei MateBook 13 2020 i5
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
627 (579min - 673max) MBit/s -4%
Average Realtek 8822CE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCI-E NIC
  (486 - 685, n=29)
622 MBit/s -5%
Apple MacBook Air 2020 i5
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
612 (576min - 636max) MBit/s -6%
04080120160200240280320360400440480520560600640680Tooltip
Huawei MateBook 13 2020 AMD; iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø652 (639-661)
Huawei MateBook 13 2020 AMD; iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø656 (328-692)

Performance - Huawei laptop with AMD Picasso

Processor - AMD Ryzen 5 3500U

With the Ryzen 5 3500U, the Huawei MateBook 13 (2020) doesn't have the latest generation of AMD processors, but this is primarily due to the fact that this laptop model came very late to Germany and was still up-to-date at the global launch.

Nevertheless, the user gets a powerful performance package. The quad-core chip has a 12 nm structural width and can process up to eight threads simultaneously. The CPU has a nominal clock speed between 2,100 and 3,700 MHz. The system is aided by 8 GB of LPDDR4 memory, which runs at 2,400 MHz and is, therefore, newer and faster than the RAM in the Intel model (LPDDR3 @2,133 MHz) of the MateBook 13.

Consequently, the clock rates can be very high, but the full 3.7 GHz is only possible with two cores running at the same time under full load; the other two cores only reach 3.3 GHz in this case and only for a short time. The cooling system quickly kicks in then and the clock speed is reduced to around 2.4 GHz. The performance is not reduced on battery power.

As a result, the single-core performance drops back a bit in comparison to the Intel counterpart, and the two models also lie quite close together in the Cinebench R15 multi-core test. But the AMD model is ahead in terms of long-term performance stability since it delivers a performance increase of about 10% and is a bit faster in comparison to the EliteBook 735, which is based on the same components.

03570105140175210245280315350385420455490525560595630665Tooltip
Huawei MateBook 13 2020 AMD AMD Ryzen 5 3500U, AMD Ryzen 5 3500U: Ø571 (564.95-646.42)
Huawei MateBook 13 2020 i5 Intel Core i5-10210U, Intel Core i5-10210U: Ø530 (520.93-665.09)
Apple MacBook Air 2020 i5 Intel Core i5-1030NG7, Intel Core i5-1030NG7; macOS 10.15: Ø401 (363.09-448.1)
HP EliteBook 735 G6 7KN29EA AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 3500U, AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 3500U: Ø561 (547.56-636.74)
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
LibreOffice : 20 Documents To PDF
R Benchmark 2.5: Overall mean
Cinebench R20 / CPU (Single Core)
Average of class Subnotebook
  (216 - 738, n=64, last 2 years)
602 Points +63%
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
Intel Core i5-1035G1
425 Points +15%
Huawei MateBook 13 2020 i5
Intel Core i5-10210U
421 Points +14%
Apple MacBook Air 2020 i5
Intel Core i5-1030NG7
375 Points +1%
Apple MacBook Air 2020 i5
Intel Core i5-1030NG7
330 Points -11%
Huawei MateBook 13 2020 AMD
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
370 Points
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-52AS
Intel Core i5-1035G4
357 Points -4%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-52AS
Intel Core i5-1035G4
357 Points -4%
HP EliteBook 735 G6 7KN29EA
AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 3500U
354 Points -4%
Average AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
  (317 - 372, n=15)
354 Points -4%
Cinebench R20 / CPU (Multi Core)
Average of class Subnotebook
  (810 - 6314, n=64, last 2 years)
3825 Points +182%
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
Intel Core i5-1035G1
1533 Points +13%
Average AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
  (1063 - 1540, n=15)
1436 Points +6%
Huawei MateBook 13 2020 AMD
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
1355 Points
HP EliteBook 735 G6 7KN29EA
AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 3500U
1328 Points -2%
Huawei MateBook 13 2020 i5
Intel Core i5-10210U
1325 Points -2%
Apple MacBook Air 2020 i5
Intel Core i5-1030NG7
987 Points -27%
Apple MacBook Air 2020 i5
Intel Core i5-1030NG7
764 Points -44%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-52AS
Intel Core i5-1035G4
892 Points -34%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-52AS
Intel Core i5-1035G4
892 Points -34%
Cinebench R15 / CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Subnotebook
  (91.8 - 280, n=62, last 2 years)
234 Points +62%
Huawei MateBook 13 2020 i5
Intel Core i5-10210U
168 Points +16%
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
Intel Core i5-1035G1
166 Points +15%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-52AS
Intel Core i5-1035G4
146.4 Points +1%
Huawei MateBook 13 2020 AMD
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
144.5 Points
Average AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
  (131 - 147, n=18)
142.4 Points -1%
Apple MacBook Air 2020 i5
Intel Core i5-1030NG7
140 Points -3%
HP EliteBook 735 G6 7KN29EA
AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 3500U
140 Points -3%
Cinebench R15 / CPU Multi 64Bit
Average of class Subnotebook
  (514 - 2581, n=70, last 2 years)
1705 Points +164%
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
Intel Core i5-1035G1
667 Points +3%
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
Intel Core i5-1035G1
659 Points +2%
Huawei MateBook 13 2020 i5
Intel Core i5-10210U
665 (520.93min - 665.09max) Points +3%
Huawei MateBook 13 2020 AMD
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
646 (564.95min - 646.42max) Points
Average AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
  (482 - 682, n=19)
642 Points -1%
HP EliteBook 735 G6 7KN29EA
AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 3500U
637 (547.56min - 636.74max) Points -1%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-52AS
Intel Core i5-1035G4
490.1 (289.98min - 451.62max) Points -24%
Apple MacBook Air 2020 i5
Intel Core i5-1030NG7
448 (363min - 448max) Points -31%
Blender / v2.79 BMW27 CPU
Apple MacBook Air 2020 i5
Intel Core i5-1030NG7
1310 Seconds * -65%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-52AS
Intel Core i5-1035G4
1016 Seconds * -28%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-52AS
Intel Core i5-1035G4
1016 Seconds * -28%
Huawei MateBook 13 2020 i5
Intel Core i5-10210U
826 Seconds * -4%
HP EliteBook 735 G6 7KN29EA
AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 3500U
805 Seconds * -1%
Huawei MateBook 13 2020 AMD
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
796 Seconds *
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
Intel Core i5-1035G1
766 Seconds * +4%
Average AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
  (680 - 796, n=10)
704 Seconds * +12%
Average of class Subnotebook
  (201 - 1600, n=66, last 2 years)
397 Seconds * +50%
7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4 -mmt1
Average of class Subnotebook
  (2197 - 6403, n=58, last 2 years)
5278 MIPS +51%
Huawei MateBook 13 2020 i5
Intel Core i5-10210U
4324 MIPS +23%
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
Intel Core i5-1035G1
4087 MIPS +17%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-52AS
Intel Core i5-1035G4
4048 MIPS +16%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-52AS
Intel Core i5-1035G4
4048 MIPS +16%
Average AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
  (3502 - 3580, n=10)
3541 MIPS +1%
Huawei MateBook 13 2020 AMD
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
3502 MIPS
Apple MacBook Air 2020 i5
Intel Core i5-1030NG7
3472 MIPS -1%
HP EliteBook 735 G6 7KN29EA
AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 3500U
3432 MIPS -2%
7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4
Average of class Subnotebook
  (16223 - 67444, n=57, last 2 years)
43017 MIPS +172%
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
Intel Core i5-1035G1
18535 MIPS +17%
Average AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
  (15825 - 17508, n=10)
16929 MIPS +7%
Huawei MateBook 13 2020 i5
Intel Core i5-10210U
16685 MIPS +5%
HP EliteBook 735 G6 7KN29EA
AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 3500U
15910 MIPS +1%
Huawei MateBook 13 2020 AMD
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
15825 MIPS
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-52AS
Intel Core i5-1035G4
13057 MIPS -17%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-52AS
Intel Core i5-1035G4
13057 MIPS -17%
Apple MacBook Air 2020 i5
Intel Core i5-1030NG7
10924 MIPS -31%
Geekbench 5.5 / Single-Core
Average of class Subnotebook
  (672 - 2350, n=66, last 2 years)
1677 Points +88%
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
Intel Core i5-1035G1
1229 Points +37%
Apple MacBook Air 2020 i5
Intel Core i5-1030NG7
1167 Points +31%
Apple MacBook Air 2020 i5
Intel Core i5-1030NG7
1010 Points +13%
Huawei MateBook 13 2020 i5
Intel Core i5-10210U
1094 Points +22%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-52AS
Intel Core i5-1035G4
1081 Points +21%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-52AS
Intel Core i5-1035G4
1081 Points +21%
Huawei MateBook 13 2020 AMD
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
894 Points
Average AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
  (777 - 905, n=8)
884 Points -1%
HP EliteBook 735 G6 7KN29EA
AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 3500U
863 Points -3%
Geekbench 5.5 / Multi-Core
Average of class Subnotebook
  (4213 - 12580, n=66, last 2 years)
8762 Points +185%
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
Intel Core i5-1035G1
4372 Points +42%
Huawei MateBook 13 2020 i5
Intel Core i5-10210U
4119 Points +34%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-52AS
Intel Core i5-1035G4
3261 Points +6%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-52AS
Intel Core i5-1035G4
3261 Points +6%
Huawei MateBook 13 2020 AMD
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
3076 Points
Average AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
  (2543 - 3234, n=8)
3076 Points 0%
Apple MacBook Air 2020 i5
Intel Core i5-1030NG7
2881 Points -6%
Apple MacBook Air 2020 i5
Intel Core i5-1030NG7
2539 Points -17%
HP EliteBook 735 G6 7KN29EA
AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 3500U
2824 Points -8%
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2 / 4k Preset
Average of class Subnotebook
  (1.5 - 19.4, n=56, last 2 years)
11.5 fps +243%
Huawei MateBook 13 2020 i5
Intel Core i5-10210U
4.37 fps +30%
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
Intel Core i5-1035G1
4.27 fps +27%
Average AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
  (3.35 - 4.15, n=10)
3.94 fps +18%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-52AS
Intel Core i5-1035G4
3.37 fps +1%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-52AS
Intel Core i5-1035G4
3.37 fps +1%
HP EliteBook 735 G6 7KN29EA
AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 3500U
3.36 fps 0%
Huawei MateBook 13 2020 AMD
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
3.35 fps
Apple MacBook Air 2020 i5
Intel Core i5-1030NG7
2.95 fps -12%
LibreOffice / 20 Documents To PDF
HP EliteBook 735 G6 7KN29EA
AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 3500U
117 s * -28%
Apple MacBook Air 2020 i5
Intel Core i5-1030NG7
110 s * -20%
Huawei MateBook 13 2020 AMD
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
91.4 s *
Average AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
  (81.9 - 91.4, n=3)
86.5 s * +5%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-52AS
Intel Core i5-1035G4
78.3 s * +14%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-52AS
Intel Core i5-1035G4
78.3 s * +14%
Huawei MateBook 13 2020 i5
Intel Core i5-10210U
58.7 s * +36%
Average of class Subnotebook
  (40.1 - 120.5, n=57, last 2 years)
53.6 s * +41%
R Benchmark 2.5 / Overall mean
Apple MacBook Air 2020 i5
Intel Core i5-1030NG7
0.922 sec * -15%
Apple MacBook Air 2020 i5
Intel Core i5-1030NG7
0.909 sec * -13%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-52AS
Intel Core i5-1035G4
0.825 sec * -3%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-52AS
Intel Core i5-1035G4
0.825 sec * -3%
Huawei MateBook 13 2020 AMD
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
0.804 sec *
HP EliteBook 735 G6 7KN29EA
AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 3500U
0.77 sec * +4%
Average AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
  (0.734 - 0.804, n=8)
0.749 sec * +7%
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
Intel Core i5-1035G1
0.722 sec * +10%
Huawei MateBook 13 2020 i5
Intel Core i5-10210U
0.713 sec * +11%
Average of class Subnotebook
  (0.4397 - 1.236, n=57, last 2 years)
0.528 sec * +34%

* ... smaller is better

Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
144.5 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
646 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
49.16 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
98 %
Help

System performance

In everyday use, the Huawei MateBook 13 (2020) also convinces with the AMD chipset delivering a smooth system performance on Windows 10. With its strong quad-core CPU and fast NVMe storage, the Huawei laptop is optimally equipped for most tasks even if the i5 model is faster in PCMark 8 and in the Essentials test of PCMark 10; this is probably due to the better performance rates of the SSD.

PCMark 10
Score
Average of class Subnotebook
  (4384 - 7428, n=56, last 2 years)
5810 Points +50%
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU), i5-1035G1, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G
4122 Points +7%
Huawei MateBook 13 2020 i5
UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U, WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G
4067 Points +5%
Huawei MateBook 13 2020 AMD
Vega 8, R5 3500U, WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G
3861 Points
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-52AS
Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU), i5-1035G4, SK Hynix BC501 HFM512GDJTNG
3790 Points -2%
Average AMD Ryzen 5 3500U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (3485 - 3972, n=16)
3766 Points -2%
HP EliteBook 735 G6 7KN29EA
Vega 8, R5 PRO 3500U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-256G
3389 Points -12%
Apple MacBook Air 2020 i5
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i5-1030NG7, Apple SSD AP0512
2540 Points -34%
Essentials
Average of class Subnotebook
  (8890 - 11168, n=56, last 2 years)
10202 Points +35%
Huawei MateBook 13 2020 i5
UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U, WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G
8715 Points +15%
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU), i5-1035G1, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G
8568 Points +14%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-52AS
Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU), i5-1035G4, SK Hynix BC501 HFM512GDJTNG
7558 Points 0%
Huawei MateBook 13 2020 AMD
Vega 8, R5 3500U, WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G
7548 Points
Average AMD Ryzen 5 3500U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (6690 - 8300, n=16)
7533 Points 0%
Apple MacBook Air 2020 i5
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i5-1030NG7, Apple SSD AP0512
6746 Points -11%
HP EliteBook 735 G6 7KN29EA
Vega 8, R5 PRO 3500U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-256G
6563 Points -13%
Productivity
Average of class Subnotebook
  (6213 - 10279, n=56, last 2 years)
7803 Points +32%
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU), i5-1035G1, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G
6766 Points +15%
Huawei MateBook 13 2020 i5
UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U, WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G
6720 Points +14%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-52AS
Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU), i5-1035G4, SK Hynix BC501 HFM512GDJTNG
6414 Points +9%
Huawei MateBook 13 2020 AMD
Vega 8, R5 3500U, WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G
5900 Points
Average AMD Ryzen 5 3500U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (5456 - 6074, n=16)
5774 Points -2%
HP EliteBook 735 G6 7KN29EA
Vega 8, R5 PRO 3500U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-256G
5264 Points -11%
Apple MacBook Air 2020 i5
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i5-1030NG7, Apple SSD AP0512
3033 Points -49%
Digital Content Creation
Average of class Subnotebook
  (4093 - 9749, n=56, last 2 years)
6758 Points +93%
Huawei MateBook 13 2020 AMD
Vega 8, R5 3500U, WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G
3509 Points
Average AMD Ryzen 5 3500U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (2989 - 3526, n=16)
3337 Points -5%
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU), i5-1035G1, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G
3281 Points -6%
Huawei MateBook 13 2020 i5
UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U, WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G
3118 Points -11%
HP EliteBook 735 G6 7KN29EA
Vega 8, R5 PRO 3500U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-256G
3061 Points -13%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-52AS
Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU), i5-1035G4, SK Hynix BC501 HFM512GDJTNG
3048 Points -13%
Apple MacBook Air 2020 i5
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i5-1030NG7, Apple SSD AP0512
2174 Points -38%
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Average of class Subnotebook
  (4730 - 5285, n=3, last 2 years)
5030 Points +31%
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU), i5-1035G1, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G
3988 Points +4%
Huawei MateBook 13 2020 i5
UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U, WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G
3946 Points +3%
Huawei MateBook 13 2020 AMD
Vega 8, R5 3500U, WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G
3846 Points
Average AMD Ryzen 5 3500U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (3316 - 4235, n=13)
3600 Points -6%
HP EliteBook 735 G6 7KN29EA
Vega 8, R5 PRO 3500U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-256G
3311 Points -14%
Work Score Accelerated v2
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU), i5-1035G1, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G
4832 Points +9%
Huawei MateBook 13 2020 i5
UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U, WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G
4773 Points +8%
Average AMD Ryzen 5 3500U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (4436 - 5039, n=12)
4707 Points +6%
HP EliteBook 735 G6 7KN29EA
Vega 8, R5 PRO 3500U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-256G
4558 Points +3%
Huawei MateBook 13 2020 AMD
Vega 8, R5 3500U, WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G
4436 Points
Average of class Subnotebook
  (2972 - 5271, n=3, last 2 years)
3805 Points -14%
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
3846 points
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2
4845 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
4436 points
PCMark 10 Score
3861 points
Help

DPC latency

LatencyMon: Overview
LatencyMon: Overview
LatencyMon: Drivers
LatencyMon: Drivers
DPC Latencies / LatencyMon - interrupt to process latency (max), Web, Youtube, Prime95
Apple MacBook Air 2020 i5
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i5-1030NG7, Apple SSD AP0512
2635 μs * -165%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-52AS
Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU), i5-1035G4, SK Hynix BC501 HFM512GDJTNG
1997 μs * -101%
HP EliteBook 735 G6 7KN29EA
Vega 8, R5 PRO 3500U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-256G
1497 μs * -51%
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU), i5-1035G1, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G
1368 μs * -38%
Huawei MateBook 13 2020 i5
UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U, WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G
1135 μs * -14%
Huawei MateBook 13 2020 AMD
Vega 8, R5 3500U, WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G
993 μs *

* ... smaller is better

Storage

Nominally, all laptops in the MateBook 13 series feature the same 512 GB SSDs from WDC, which offer high speeds in all areas. However, the storage device performs worse in the AMD version and is sometimes considerably slower. This can be attributed to either a weaker memory controller or a mediocre driver implementation.

The somewhat peculiar partitioning of the NVMe memory, which results in a comparatively small system partition, is also found again in this Huawei laptop model. We recommend redistributing it directly in the system settings or to straight out delete the data partition (D drive).

Huawei MateBook 13 2020 AMD
WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G
Huawei MateBook 13 2020 i5
WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G
Apple MacBook Air 2020 i5
Apple SSD AP0512
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-52AS
SK Hynix BC501 HFM512GDJTNG
Average WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G
 
CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6
18%
15%
-10%
33%
Write 4K
143.9
190.5
32%
121.9
-15%
120.6
-16%
164.3 ?(106.9 - 242, n=21)
14%
Read 4K
45.91
53.7
17%
50
9%
46.88
2%
48.2 ?(36.8 - 57.9, n=21)
5%
Write Seq
1307
1436
10%
1497
15%
1044
-20%
2096 ?(1025 - 2707, n=21)
60%
Read Seq
1435
1356
-6%
2111
47%
1147
-20%
2123 ?(1356 - 2553, n=21)
48%
Write 4K Q32T1
237.1
382.5
61%
365.9
54%
332.4
40%
451 ?(237 - 671, n=21)
90%
Read 4K Q32T1
332.7
502
51%
384.6
16%
443.3
33%
509 ?(333 - 838, n=21)
53%
Write Seq Q32T1
2698
2114
-22%
2748
2%
1052
-61%
2551 ?(1087 - 2721, n=21)
-5%
Read Seq Q32T1
3394
3410
0%
3119
-8%
2171
-36%
3330 ?(2869 - 3426, n=21)
-2%
AS SSD
65%
-64%
-9%
-25%
39%
Seq Read
2844
2912
2%
1153
-59%
2328
-18%
1370
-52%
2605 ?(1786 - 3021, n=21)
-8%
Seq Write
2316
2190
-5%
1367
-41%
1137
-51%
1019
-56%
1905 ?(993 - 2486, n=21)
-18%
4K Read
40.76
49.52
21%
12.95
-68%
48.07
18%
50.8
25%
45.8 ?(34.7 - 53.4, n=21)
12%
4K Write
96.9
167.1
72%
24.52
-75%
120.6
24%
111.2
15%
155.6 ?(96.9 - 217, n=21)
61%
4K-64 Read
1275
1447
13%
665
-48%
899
-29%
770
-40%
1181 ?(615 - 1483, n=21)
-7%
4K-64 Write
1156
1513
31%
159.5
-86%
1220
6%
713
-38%
1372 ?(677 - 2346, n=21)
19%
Access Time Read *
0.074
0.05
32%
0.295
-299%
0.085
-15%
0.0801 ?(0.05 - 0.138, n=21)
-8%
Access Time Write *
0.039
0.023
41%
0.163
-318%
0.033
15%
0.034
13%
0.04195 ?(0.018 - 0.091, n=21)
-8%
Score Read
1600
1787
12%
793
-50%
1180
-26%
958
-40%
1488 ?(895 - 1838, n=21)
-7%
Score Write
1485
1899
28%
321
-78%
1455
-2%
926
-38%
1718 ?(948 - 2721, n=21)
16%
Score Total
3879
4569
18%
1528
-61%
3189
-18%
2370
-39%
3938 ?(2834 - 5376, n=21)
2%
Copy ISO MB/s
433.2
2290
429%
1433
231%
1718 ?(433 - 3092, n=13)
297%
Copy Program MB/s
266.4
555
108%
363
36%
536 ?(257 - 790, n=13)
101%
Copy Game MB/s
620
1300
110%
725
17%
1193 ?(620 - 1879, n=13)
92%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
42% / 48%
-64% / -64%
3% / 1%
-18% / -18%
36% / 37%

* ... smaller is better

WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G
CDM 5/6 Read Seq Q32T1: 3394 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write Seq Q32T1: 2698 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K Q32T1: 332.7 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K Q32T1: 237.1 MB/s
CDM 5 Read Seq: 1435 MB/s
CDM 5 Write Seq: 1307 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K: 45.91 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K: 143.9 MB/s

Continuous load read: DiskSpd Read Loop, Queue Depth 8

No graph data

Graphics card - Performance drops despite iGPU

GPU-Z: AMD Radeon Vega 8
GPU-Z: AMD Radeon Vega 8

The graphics calculations are handled by the Picasso chipset's integrated AMD Radeon Vega 8 GPU, which uses 1 GB of RAM. The iGPU masters common everyday tasks such as playing high-resolution videos or simple graphics processing without any problems. It doesn't turn the MateBook 13 into a gaming PC either, but it is significantly more powerful than its sibling model with the Intel configuration, so that some titles can be played well at least at low details and reduced resolution. The difference is also very clear in the 3DMark benchmark, because the AMD MateBook is at least 80% faster, and Huawei also delivers a much stronger performance compared to the EliteBook.

In the gaming benchmarks, some games, such as Warhammer and F1 2k19, complained that there wasn't enough RAM available, but they could still be executed. Only Doom Eternal crashed at startup and completely took over the available RAM.

3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU
Average of class Subnotebook
  (2979 - 16904, n=55, last 2 years)
8016 Points +130%
Huawei MateBook 13 2020 AMD
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
3486 Points
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (1668 - 4317, n=44)
3447 Points -1%
HP EliteBook 735 G6 7KN29EA
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 3500U
2997 Points -14%
Apple MacBook Air 2020 i5
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), Intel Core i5-1030NG7
2924 Points -16%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-52AS
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU), Intel Core i5-1035G4
2809 Points -19%
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
Intel UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU), Intel Core i5-1035G1
2578 Points -26%
Huawei MateBook 13 2020 i5
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-10210U
1852 Points -47%
3DMark
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics
Average of class Subnotebook
  (13768 - 65911, n=40, last 2 years)
29002 Points +58%
Huawei MateBook 13 2020 AMD
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
18329 Points
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (7309 - 19399, n=37)
15327 Points -16%
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
Intel UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU), Intel Core i5-1035G1
12698 Points -31%
HP EliteBook 735 G6 7KN29EA
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 3500U
12233 Points -33%
Huawei MateBook 13 2020 i5
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-10210U
10111 Points -45%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Average of class Subnotebook
  (2837 - 12349, n=59, last 2 years)
5881 Points +152%
Huawei MateBook 13 2020 AMD
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
2335 Points
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (1095 - 2901, n=41)
2224 Points -5%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-52AS
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU), Intel Core i5-1035G4
1995 Points -15%
HP EliteBook 735 G6 7KN29EA
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 3500U
1872 Points -20%
Apple MacBook Air 2020 i5
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), Intel Core i5-1030NG7
1846 Points -21%
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
Intel UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU), Intel Core i5-1035G1
1755 Points -25%
Huawei MateBook 13 2020 i5
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-10210U
1280 Points -45%
2560x1440 Time Spy Graphics
Average of class Subnotebook
  (811 - 4773, n=58, last 2 years)
1981 Points +151%
Huawei MateBook 13 2020 AMD
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
790 Points
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (523 - 790, n=23)
673 Points -15%
HP EliteBook 735 G6 7KN29EA
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 3500U
568 Points -28%
Apple MacBook Air 2020 i5
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), Intel Core i5-1030NG7
526 Points -33%
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
Intel UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU), Intel Core i5-1035G1
472 Points -40%
3DMark 11 Performance
3619 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
13533 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
2142 points
3DMark Fire Strike Extreme Score
979 points
3DMark Time Spy Score
881 points
Help

Gaming performance

low med. high ultra
The Witcher 3 (2015) 24.5 15.35
Dota 2 Reborn (2015) 70 63.2 38.9 34.6
Warhammer 40.000: Dawn of War III (2017) 42.69 17.95
X-Plane 11.11 (2018) 26.9 21 18.4
Far Cry 5 (2018) 19 12
F1 2019 (2019) 46.2 27.6 24.2 22.5

Emissions - GPU makes quite some noise

Noise emissions

The MateBook 13 is practically inaudible during normal use. The fans remain silent while using office applications or browsing the web. As soon as the GPU is loaded, however, this changes quite quickly. While the two fans are only perceived as a quiet background buzz under moderate load, the noise level intensifies under full load.

However, if you raise the laptop's base a bit and give the air vents on the bottom more room, you'll reduce the noise level back down very quickly by a good 6 dB(A).

Noise Level

Idle
27.2 / 27.2 / 27.2 dB(A)
Load
31.8 / 38.3 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: 27.2 dB(A)
dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2038.732.937.231.738.7253433.334.128.7343130.627.52830.630.64025.727.424.523.725.75029353130.7296326.730.728.523.826.78023.523.927.224.223.510025.520.925.724.625.512522.11821.120.522.116020.220.321.218.320.220023.320.119.818.723.325021.420.717.816.621.431521.520.618.71721.540022.117.717.314.722.150023.818.815.31423.863025.518.51515.225.580024.217.714.314.224.2100023.921.415.214.623.9125026.719.81513.826.7160026.319.81514.126.3200027.521.214.114.827.5250026.920.114.414.526.9315027.619.915.11527.6400027.321.114.914.827.3500027.420.314.814.827.4630028.317.914.814.928.3800024.416.315.115.124.41000022.615.81515.222.61250018.615.915.215.418.61600016.616.115.315.316.6SPL38.331.827.326.938.3N2.91.50.90.92.9median 24.2median 19.8median 15.1median 15median 24.2Delta2.61.31.31.32.631.831.230.131.326.727.228.228.132.933.529.731.130.931.628.829.429.626.527.731.726.326.824.824.924.625.222.924.123.523.825.827.523.423.923.524.123.32422.823.423.823.423.123.723.122.123.322.521.921.721.922.722.121.421.22220.920.520.821.320.320.219.821.320.519.918.720.62120.117.821.122.621.117.621.322.520.516.920.922.521.116.420.921.720.416.420.421.119.316.320.419.618.51618.418.917.516.116.816.916.516.216.716.616.616.116.416.516.316.216.316.116.115.916.215.915.915.815.932.831.729.732.11.81.61.31.7median 21.1median 20.4median 17.6median 20.92.62.12.92.7hearing rangehide median Fan NoiseHuawei MateBook 13 2020 AMDHuawei MateBook 13 2020 i5

Temperature

The Huawei MateBook 13 (2020) stays pleasantly cool on all sides in idle usage. In the stress test, the temperatures undergo a strong increase and concentrate themselves on the right area, but they remain significantly cooler than with the Intel model. However, we still don't recommend placing the laptop on bare skin in this case. The palm rest stays comparatively cool, and the surface temperatures don't have a negative impact when working with the laptop.

The processor's clock rate drops continuously in the stress test and falls below the base clock speed (throttling) after a few minutes, to then settle at a bit over 1.4 GHz. After the stress test, the system recovers very quickly, and an adverse effect on performance can't be determined afterwards.

Those who only push the processor to its limits have more computing power available because the Ryzen CPU then stabilizes at 2.4 GHz. When we disconnected the external power supply during the stress test, the CPU's clock speed increased again and stabilized at 1.85 GHz.

MateBook 13 (AMD): Stress test (CPU + GPU)
MateBook 13 (AMD): Stress test (CPU + GPU)
Stress test analysis with AMD µProf
Stress test analysis with AMD µProf
The speed increases when the power adapter is disconnected from the MateBook
The speed increases when the power adapter is disconnected from the MateBook
Max. Load
 35.3 °C
96 F
39.3 °C
103 F
38.8 °C
102 F
 
 32.7 °C
91 F
37.3 °C
99 F
37.5 °C
100 F
 
 30.3 °C
87 F
30 °C
86 F
32.6 °C
91 F
 
Maximum: 39.3 °C = 103 F
Average: 34.9 °C = 95 F
40.2 °C
104 F
36.9 °C
98 F
32.1 °C
90 F
38.5 °C
101 F
34.3 °C
94 F
32.7 °C
91 F
34.5 °C
94 F
32.9 °C
91 F
30.8 °C
87 F
Maximum: 40.2 °C = 104 F
Average: 34.8 °C = 95 F
Power Supply (max.)  41 °C = 106 F | Room Temperature 22 °C = 72 F | Fluke t3000FC (calibrated) & Voltcraft IR-260
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 34.9 °C / 95 F, compared to the average of 30.7 °C / 87 F for the devices in the class Subnotebook.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 39.3 °C / 103 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 40.2 °C / 104 F, compared to the average of 39.4 °C / 103 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 28.5 °C / 83 F, compared to the device average of 30.7 °C / 87 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are reaching skin temperature as a maximum (32.6 °C / 90.7 F) and are therefore not hot.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.3 °C / 82.9 F (-4.3 °C / -7.8 F).

Audio jack

On the left side of the Huawei MateBook 13 there is a 3.5 mm audio jack that serves the laptop as a combined headphone output and microphone input connection. Subjectively, the port does its job well and provides a fairly noise-free reproduction.

However, the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR: 62.62 dBFS) is only satisfactory in our measurements, while the harmonic distortions are on a good level. As a result, the jack is certainly not designed for audiophiles but is perfectly sufficient for communication tasks or simple media playback.

Energy management - Shorter battery life is confirmed in the test

Energy consumption

The MateBook 13 needs a comparatively high amount of energy, especially in idle usage, but it's much more economic under load than its Intel counterpart; the same applies to the standby mode.

The peak load of 47.1 watts is already clearly below what the 65-watt power adapter is capable of; in addition, the consumption settles quite quickly at 43 watts. The modular power adapter is the same model that also comes with the Mate Xs and supports Huawei's SuperCharge at 55 watts.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.21 / 0.32 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 4.71 / 8.65 / 9.42 Watt
Load midlight 34.23 / 47.1 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.
Huawei MateBook 13 2020 AMD
R5 3500U, Vega 8, WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G, IPS, 2160x1440, 13.00
Huawei MateBook 13 2020 i5
i5-10210U, UHD Graphics 620, WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G, IPS, 2160x1440, 13.00
Apple MacBook Air 2020 i5
i5-1030NG7, Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), Apple SSD AP0512, IPS, 2560x1600, 13.30
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
i5-1035G1, UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU), Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G, IPS, 1920x1200, 13.40
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-52AS
i5-1035G4, Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU), SK Hynix BC501 HFM512GDJTNG, IPS, 2256x1504, 13.50
HP EliteBook 735 G6 7KN29EA
R5 PRO 3500U, Vega 8, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-256G, IPS LED, 1920x1080, 13.30
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
 
Average of class Subnotebook
 
Power Consumption
-2%
24%
8%
28%
-4%
-7%
-17%
Idle Minimum *
4.71
2.97
37%
2.4
49%
3.4
28%
3
36%
5.6
-19%
5.68 ?(3.7 - 11.5, n=42)
-21%
4.9 ?(1.77 - 11.8, n=63, last 2 years)
-4%
Idle Average *
8.65
7.5
13%
6.8
21%
6
31%
6.1
29%
8.1
6%
8.75 ?(5.86 - 21.8, n=42)
-1%
8.4 ?(4.6 - 17.4, n=63, last 2 years)
3%
Idle Maximum *
9.42
9.6
-2%
10.5
-11%
10.2
-8%
8.4
11%
9.6
-2%
10.1 ?(6.36 - 22.2, n=42)
-7%
10.4 ?(5.1 - 22.4, n=63, last 2 years)
-10%
Load Average *
34.23
38.9
-14%
25.7
25%
36.6
-7%
25.7
25%
34.3
-0%
37.8 ?(24.1 - 55.3, n=42)
-10%
46.1 ?(19.1 - 83.3, n=62, last 2 years)
-35%
Load Maximum *
47.1
66.7
-42%
30.4
35%
49.3
-5%
27.6
41%
48.6
-3%
46.2 ?(26.5 - 65.6, n=42)
2%
66.2 ?(24.2 - 121.2, n=63, last 2 years)
-41%
Witcher 3 ultra *
24.5

* ... smaller is better

Battery life

Load test
Charging process

The 41.7-watt-hour battery is quite small and offers the lowest capacity in the comparison field. Huawei itself states that the AMD model has shorter battery life than the Intel variant; depending on the usage scenario, it should be between one and four-and-a-half hours less. The highest difference is supposed to be observed with video reproduction (manufacturer: 11.6 h (Intel) vs. 7 h (AMD)), which we can't confirm. The difference between the two models is much smaller, and the test device even lasts longer than offered.

Things look different when surfing the web on WLAN (150 cd/m²). The MateBook 13 shows lower battery runtimes than Huawei states here, whereby the company doesn't give any information about the determination of the rates either. At 5 h 19 m, the value is alright, but we certainly can't speak of a brilliant performance here, especially since the i5 version squeezes more runtime out of the battery.

The 65-watt adapter doesn't even take two hours to fully recharge the battery.

Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing (Microsoft Edge 83)
5h 19min
WiFi Websurfing max. Brightness (Microsoft Edge 83)
4h 21min
Big Buck Bunny H.264 1080p
8h 47min
Load (maximum brightness)
1h 36min
Huawei MateBook 13 2020 AMD
R5 3500U, Vega 8, 41.7 Wh
Huawei MateBook 13 2020 i5
i5-10210U, UHD Graphics 620, 41.7 Wh
Apple MacBook Air 2020 i5
i5-1030NG7, Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), 49.9 Wh
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
i5-1035G1, UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU), 52 Wh
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-52AS
i5-1035G4, Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU), 54.5 Wh
HP EliteBook 735 G6 7KN29EA
R5 PRO 3500U, Vega 8, 50 Wh
Average of class Subnotebook
 
Battery Runtime
13%
65%
99%
103%
54%
54%
H.264
527
580
10%
640
21%
866
64%
778 ?(426 - 1153, n=30, last 2 years)
48%
WiFi v1.3
319
441
38%
618
94%
703
120%
648
103%
492
54%
623 ?(303 - 1144, n=64, last 2 years)
95%
Load
96
86
-10%
173
80%
205
114%
115.4 ?(61 - 197, n=47, last 2 years)
20%

Pros

+ high-quality metal case
+ good system performance
+ decent input devices
+ bright 3:2 display

Cons

- components are difficult to access
- glossy screen
- display should be calibrated
- USB-C with limitations only

Verdict - The price has its price

In review: Huawei MateBook 13 (2020) AMD version.
In review: Huawei MateBook 13 (2020) AMD version.

With the Huawei MateBook 13, buyers get a really good subnotebook, even with an AMD chipset, which is, above all, comparatively inexpensive and already available from 749 Euros (~$842). The USB adapter included in the box is certainly rather a weak consolation for the omission of the MateDock 2.

The stronger iGPU of the Picasso chipset didn't have a big influence on the score, but it can mark the difference between a game that is still playable and one that looks like a flipbook, especially for casual gamers. We also see a slight advantage for the AMD version when using creative programs like Photoshop.

The MateBook 13 with the Ryzen chipset is cheaper, but users have to put up with tradeoffs, above all, in terms of battery life.

On the other hand, if you're on the road a lot and for a long time, you should think twice about not going for the Intel model, since it mostly scores noticeably better in terms of battery life. Whichever MateBook you choose, both chip variants are housed in a high-quality metal case, which has been equipped with decent input devices. Those who also own a halfway up-to-date Huawei smartphone will get a useful additional feature with Huawei Share.

Huawei MateBook 13 2020 AMD - 06/29/2020 v7
Daniel Schmidt

Chassis
84 / 98 → 86%
Keyboard
84%
Pointing Device
86%
Connectivity
45 / 75 → 60%
Weight
71 / 20-75 → 93%
Battery
72%
Display
83%
Games Performance
51 / 78 → 66%
Application Performance
83 / 85 → 97%
Temperature
91%
Noise
97%
Audio
65 / 91 → 71%
Camera
35 / 85 → 41%
Average
73%
84%
Subnotebook - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Huawei MateBook 13 (2020) review - A Ryzen laptop isn't always the better choice
Daniel Schmidt, 2020-07- 4 (Update: 2020-07- 4)