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Huawei MateBook D 14 W50F (Core i5-8250U, 8 GB, 256 GB) Laptop Review

Office or business? The Huawei MateBook D 14 W50F sits between both segments. The stylish case and plentiful security features point towards the laptop being an expensive business laptop. However, Huawei preinstalls Windows 10 Home and has equipped the device with few ports, which aligns the W50F with cheaper office laptops. The real drawback is less to do with the laptop’s classification though.

The Huawei MateBook D 14 W50F is a relatively cheap and compact laptop that currently retails at 999 Euros (~$1,140/£887). The W50F succeeds the MateBook D (i7-7500U, GeForce 940MX) and reminds of us the current MacBook Pro, at least in Space Grey. Our test device is equipped with an Intel Core i5-8250U processor, a Full HD IPS display, 8 GB RAM and a 256 GB SSD. There is also a fingerprint sensor, and a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0 chip, while Huawei has preinstalled Windows 10 Home.

The W50F does not have a dedicated GPU. We would recommend checking out the W60B instead if you want a dGPU as the latter has an Nvidia GeForce MX150. The W60B costs around 200 Euros (~$230/£180) more than the W50F at the time of writing, but the former has a more powerful Core i7-8550U processor too. Huawei sells the W50F in either Space Grey or anthracite, the latter of which is the colour of our test device.

There are not that many similar laptops against which to compare the W50F. We have included 13.3-inch and 14-inch devices in our comparison table because the difference between the two screen sizes is minimal. Our primary comparison devices are the following:

Manufacturer Model Display Processor Graphics RAM Storage Price
HP EliteBook 745 G5 3UN74A 14-inches AMD Ryzen 7 2700U AMD Radeon RX Vega 10 8 GB 256 GB €1,399 ~ US $1,600
MSI PS42 8RB-059 Prestige 14-inches Intel Core i7-8550U Intel UHD Graphics 620 & NVIDIA GeForce MX150 16 GB 512 GB $1,300
Lenovo IdeaPad 720S-13IKB 13.3-inches Intel Core i5-8250U Intel UHD Graphics 620 8 GB 256 GB €999 ~ US $1,140
Huawei MateBook D 14 W50F (MateBook D 14 Series)
Processor
Intel Core i5-8250U 4 x 1.6 - 3.4 GHz, Kaby Lake Refresh
Graphics adapter
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Core: 1100 MHz, Shared Memory, 23.20.16.4958
Memory
8 GB 
, DDR4 2133, dual channel, 1 SO-DIMM slot, occupied
Display
14.00 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 157 PPI, BOE0764 / TV140FHM-NH0, IPS, glossy: no
Mainboard
Intel Kaby Lake-U iHDCP 2.2 Premium PCH
Storage
SanDisk SD9SN8W256G1027, 256 GB 
Soundcard
Intel Kaby Lake-U/Y PCH - High Definition Audio
Connections
1 USB 2.0, 2 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 HDMI, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: Combined headphone and microphone 3.5 mm jack , 1 Fingerprint Reader, Brightness Sensor
Networking
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265 (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.2
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 16 x 323 x 221 ( = 0.63 x 12.72 x 8.7 in)
Battery
57 Wh, 7565 mAh Lithium-Polymer
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: HD 1 MP
Additional features
Speakers: Stereo speakers, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, 12 Months Warranty
Weight
1.47 kg ( = 51.85 oz / 3.24 pounds), Power Supply: 204 g ( = 7.2 oz / 0.45 pounds)
Price
999 EUR
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

The W50F largely looks like its predecessor. At first glance, the only changes appear to be the inclusion of the Huawei logo and a different arrangement of the ports. The colours of the bottom case and display hinge have changed too. The device also apes the unibody design that we have seen on recent MacBooks, although the case is clearly two pieces of metal. Huawei refers to the device’s metal surfaces in its promotional material, the validity of which we can confirm with our test device; the W50F looks and feels like it is made entirely from metal besides its four rubber feet.

Unfortunately, the laptop has a slippery finish, which is prone to picking up fingerprints. The W50F has a minimalist and industrial design, with the only noticeable embellishments being the Huawei branding, the speaker grilles that flank the keyboard and the circular fingerprint sensor.

Our test device is robust, but it is not as sturdy as it looks. We can easily twist the case with our hands, which audibly creaks as we do so. The display lid is well built too, although we could get the display to distort slightly when we applied pressure to the lid with our hands. Unfortunately, the hinges are too stiff to open our test device with one hand. However, the display hardly bounces in daily use, which is positive.

In short, our test device is a well-built laptop with even and tight gaps between all materials. Overall, the case looks like it belongs to a considerably more expensive business laptop.

Huawei MateBook D 14
Huawei MateBook D 14
Huawei MateBook D 14
Huawei MateBook D 14
Huawei MateBook D 14
Huawei MateBook D 14

The W50F has a comparatively small footprint, but it is rather heavy at 1.5 kg. Our test device is 16 mm thick (0.63-inches), which is 2.4 mm (0.09-inches) thicker than the IdeaPad 720S-13IKB despite the latter having a smaller display. The W50F is smaller than our other comparison devices too. However, our test device is 300 g (10.60-oz) and 400 g (14.1-oz) heavier than the IdeaPad 720s-13IKB and the PS42 8RB Prestige respectively, while also being the same weight as the EliteBook 745 G5.

Size Comparison

326 mm / 12.8 inch 234 mm / 9.21 inch 17.9 mm / 0.705 inch 1.5 kg3.4 lbs323 mm / 12.7 inch 221 mm / 8.7 inch 16 mm / 0.63 inch 1.5 kg3.24 lbs322 mm / 12.7 inch 222 mm / 8.74 inch 15.9 mm / 0.626 inch 1.2 kg2.62 lbs306 mm / 12 inch 214 mm / 8.43 inch 13.6 mm / 0.535 inch 1.1 kg2.43 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connectivity

Huawei has equipped the W50F with what we would consider the basic selection of ports for a $1,000 laptop released in 2018. The W50F has two USB Type-A ports, a USB Type-C port, an HDMI port and a headphone jack. One of the three USB ports operates at the slower USB 2.0 standard, while only the Type-C port is USB 3.1. The ports are well spaced out and are along the rear edges of the sides of the device. Buyers should not experience any issues with cables obscuring other ports with the W50F.

Left-hand side: USB 3.1 Gen.1 Type-C, HDMI, USB 3.0 Type-A
Left-hand side: USB 3.1 Gen.1 Type-C, HDMI, USB 3.0 Type-A
Right-hand side: headphone jack, USB 2.0 Type-A
Right-hand side: headphone jack, USB 2.0 Type-A

Communication

Huawei has equipped our test device with an Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265 Wi-Fi card, which has a 2x2 MIMO antenna that supports Bluetooth 4.1 and can achieve up to 867 Mb/s network speeds. Our test device achieved over 500 Mb/s in both iperf3 Client Wi-Fi tests when tested with our Linksys EA8500 reference router, which is above average and puts it well ahead of the PS42 8RB Prestige and the IdeaPad 720s-13IKB. The EliteBook 745 G5 finishes around 100 Mb/s short of our test device in the receive test but edges the W50F by 3 Mb/s in the transmission test. The EliteBook has an RJ45 Ethernet port though, which the W50F lacks.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Average of class Office
  (280 - 1332, n=6, last 2 years)
810 MBit/s +37%
HP EliteBook 745 G5 3UN74EA
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
593 MBit/s +1%
Huawei MateBook D 14 W50F
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
590 (528min - 688max) MBit/s
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13IKB
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3165
343 MBit/s -42%
MSI Prestige PS42 8RB-059
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3168
311 MBit/s -47%
iperf3 receive AX12
Average of class Office
  (348 - 1690, n=6, last 2 years)
852 MBit/s +70%
Huawei MateBook D 14 W50F
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
502 (323min - 535max) MBit/s
HP EliteBook 745 G5 3UN74EA
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
409 MBit/s -19%
MSI Prestige PS42 8RB-059
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3168
336 MBit/s -33%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13IKB
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3165
311 MBit/s -38%
03570105140175210245280315350385420455490525560595630665Tooltip
Huawei MateBook D 14 W50F UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SanDisk SD9SN8W256G1027; iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø502 (323-535)
Huawei MateBook D 14 W50F UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SanDisk SD9SN8W256G1027; iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø591 (528-688)

Security

The W50F has a TPM 2.0 chip and a fingerprint sensor, the latter of which supports Windows Hello. The fingerprint sensor quickly and reliably unlocked our test device throughout testing. There is no BitLocker drive encryption though because this is reserved for Windows 10 Pro. Huawei preinstalls Windows 10 Home on the W50F, but users could purchase a Pro licence for $99 (£119.99) from the Microsoft Store if they need BitLocker among the other features that a Pro licence adds.

Accessories

Our test device came with a USB Type-C charger, a warranty card and a quick-start guide. Huawei does not currently sell any W50F specific accessories.

Maintenance

The W50F does not have a maintenance cover nor can users remove its battery without removing the bottom case, which is held in place by nine Torx screws. We chose not to remove the bottom case as there was a risk that we could damage our test device, which notebooksbilliger.de kindly lent us.

Warranty

We could not clarify the length of warranty coverage that our test device has because Huawei does not state so on its website nor did its serial number check work at the time of testing. Some sources claim that the W50F has 12 months manufacturer’s warranty, while others state 24 months. Either way, buyers in the EU and in the US will also have warranty coverage from whichever third-party supplier that the W50F is bought from. Please see our Guarantees, Return policies and Warranties FAQ for country-specific information.

Input Devices

Keyboard

The W50F has a chiclet keyboard that is slightly recessed into the top case and is as wide as a desktop keyboard. The keys are flat, large and well labelled, although the stroke is too short for our liking. The keys have good pressure points though. Most keys are cushioned well, but the space bar and enter key are noticeably noisier. They are so loud that we could recommend against vigorously typing in noise-sensitive environments. The keyboard deck is sturdy too and we could only depress it by applying more pressure that users would normally apply when just typing. The keyboard also has two-stage backlighting that uniformly and brightly lit the keys when using our test device in dark environments. 

Trackpad

The trackpad has a smooth finish that is even easy to use with slightly damp fingers. We struggled to use the trackpad with clammy hands, but this is the case with most trackpads. The trackpad is precise and responsive overall, albeit the outermost edges are not as reliable as the centre of the trackpad. The trackpad uses Windows Precision drivers and is large enough for multi-finger gestures.

We particularly like the integrated mouse buttons. Both buttons have a short stroke, a crisp pressure point and provide clear acoustic feedback.

A look at the MateBook D 14 W50F’s keyboard and trackpad
A look at the MateBook D 14 W50F’s keyboard and trackpad

Display

Sub-pixel array
Sub-pixel array

The 14-inch IPS display is not one of the W50F’s strengths, just as was the case with its predecessor. Our test device achieves an average maximum brightness of 276 cd/m² according to X-Rite i1Pro 2, a value that is resoundingly beaten by the EliteBook 745 G5 and one which is not good enough for a $1,000 laptop. Overall, the W50F finishes third in our comparison table in this regard and is only marginally above the PS42 8RB Prestige, which has an average maximum luminosity of 269 cd/m².

Our test device has an 85% evenly lit display, which is on par with our comparison devices. However, there is significant backlight bleed in the corners and the left-hand side of the display, which we can even notice under normal lighting conditions. Huawei does not offer any other display with the W50F.

295
cd/m²
283
cd/m²
298
cd/m²
269
cd/m²
291
cd/m²
279
cd/m²
252
cd/m²
258
cd/m²
257
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
BOE0764 / TV140FHM-NH0 tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 298 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 275.8 cd/m² Minimum: 6 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 85 %
Center on Battery: 294 cd/m²
Contrast: 633:1 (Black: 0.46 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 4.3 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5, calibrated: 3.18
ΔE Greyscale 4.21 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
64% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
41% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
44.62% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
64% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
43.19% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.46
Huawei MateBook D 14 W50F
BOE0764 / TV140FHM-NH0, , 1920x1080, 14.00
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13IKB
LG Philips LGD04EF, , 1920x1080, 13.30
HP EliteBook 745 G5 3UN74EA
AUO383D, , 1920x1080, 14.00
MSI Prestige PS42 8RB-059
CMN N140HCE-EN2, , 1920x1080, 14.00
Display
38%
40%
55%
Display P3 Coverage
43.19
64.3
49%
61.3
42%
67.5
56%
sRGB Coverage
64
82.3
29%
87.6
37%
98.6
54%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
44.62
60.2
35%
62.3
40%
69.6
56%
Response Times
21816%
24%
4150%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
41 ?(21, 20)
35 ?(17, 18)
15%
35 ?(17, 18)
15%
34.4 ?(18, 16.4)
16%
Response Time Black / White *
37 ?(21, 16)
25 ?(14, 11)
32%
25 ?(15, 10)
32%
24.8 ?(14.8, 10)
33%
PWM Frequency
200 ?(90)
131000 ?(90)
65400%
25000 ?(22)
12400%
Screen
9%
41%
42%
Brightness middle
291
335
15%
421
45%
285.4
-2%
Brightness
276
303
10%
398
44%
269
-3%
Brightness Distribution
85
85
0%
86
1%
86
1%
Black Level *
0.46
0.46
-0%
0.27
41%
0.31
33%
Contrast
633
728
15%
1559
146%
921
45%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
4.3
5.09
-18%
4.08
5%
1
77%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
10.01
11.92
-19%
7.48
25%
3.65
64%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
3.18
0.98
69%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
4.21
3.23
23%
2.92
31%
1.4
67%
Gamma
2.46 89%
2.18 101%
2.32 95%
2.25 98%
CCT
6867 95%
6214 105%
7043 92%
6699 97%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
41
54
32%
57
39%
63.82
56%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
64
82
28%
87
36%
98.91
55%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
7288% / 4103%
35% / 39%
1416% / 769%

* ... smaller is better

The display also has long response times, which does not tend to be an issue for business or office notebooks. However, buyers should be wary of this if they choose the MX150-equipped W60B, as the response times may well be noticeable when gaming.

Our test device has a 0.46 cd/m² black value, which is on par with the IdeaPad 720S-13IKB but is considerably higher than the black values of our other comparison devices. The high black value and low maximum luminosity combine to create a disappointing 633:1 contrast ratio. We would expect to see a contrast ratio of at least 1,000:1 for a device at this price. By contrast, the EliteBook 745 G5 has an impressive 1,559:1 contrast ratio thanks to its superior black value and average maximum luminosity.

Things look better regarding colour accuracy though. The ideal DeltaE deviation is 3, the level below which the human eye cannot perceive colour inaccuracies. Our test device largely comes close to achieving this value for all DeltaE tests, but additional calibration can further improve colour accuracy, particularly with greyscale divergences. We have included our calibrated ICC profile in the box above our comparison table should you wish to use it. The colour profile is specific to our test device, but it should work with any W50F that also has a BOE0764/TV140FHM-NH0 display. Applying the ICC profile to a different display could worsen its colour accuracy.

By contrast, the PS42 8RB Prestige has excellent colour accuracy out of the box. Overall, the W50F is not colour accurate enough even for casual image-editing, primarily because of its poor colour-space coverage. Our test device has 41% AdobeRGB and 64% sRGB colour-space coverage, which is strikingly less accurate than our comparison devices. The PS42 8RB Prestige shines again here, achieving 64% AdobeRGB and 99% sRGB colour-space coverage. Our other two comparison devices are also colour accurate enough for occasional image and video-editing.

CalMAN: Greyscale (uncalibrated)
CalMAN: Greyscale (uncalibrated)
CalMAN: ColorChecker (uncalibrated)
CalMAN: ColorChecker (uncalibrated)
CalMAN: Colour Saturation (uncalibrated)
CalMAN: Colour Saturation (uncalibrated)
CalMAN: Greyscale (calibrated)
CalMAN: Greyscale (calibrated)
CalMAN: ColorChecker (calibrated)
CalMAN: ColorChecker (calibrated)
CalMAN: Colour Saturation (calibrated)
CalMAN: Colour Saturation (calibrated)
41% AdobeRGB colour-space coverage
41% AdobeRGB colour-space coverage
64% sRGB colour-space coverage
64% sRGB colour-space coverage
Using the MateBook D 14 W50F outside in the sunshine
Using the MateBook D 14 W50F outside in the sunshine
Using the MateBook D 14 W50F outside in the shade
Using the MateBook D 14 W50F outside in the shade

The W50F is relatively easy to use outdoors thanks to its display’s matte finish. The matte finish diffuses reflections that would otherwise overwhelm the dim display. We could comfortably use our test device in the shade on a sunny autumn day, but the display is simply not bright enough in direct sunlight. The difference in readability between the two lighting conditions is striking, as demonstrated by the two photos to the right. The W50F should also be bright enough for outdoor use on an overcast day, but we would still recommend avoiding brightly lit areas where possible for the best viewing experience.

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
37 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 21 ms rise
↘ 16 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. » 94 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
41 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 21 ms rise
↘ 20 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 59 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

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

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

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

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

The W50F has weak viewing angles, which is uncommon for an IPS display. We noticed brightness and colour distortions at 45 ° viewing angles, an experience that we are more used to seeing with TN panels. In short, the W50F has one of the weakest IPS displays that we have ever tested.

Performance

The Core i5-8250U and fast SSD make the W50F powerful enough for demanding applications like Adobe Photoshop or any multi-core or Hyper-Threaded applications. The 8 GB of RAM could be a bottleneck for image or video-editing, for which we would recommend 16 GB.

 

Processor

The Intel Core i5-8250U is an ultra-low voltage (ULV) quad-core processor based on Intel’s Kaby Lake R architecture. The CPU has a 15 W thermal design power (TDP) and a 1.6 GHz base clock speed that can increase up to 3.4 GHz thanks to Intel Turbo Boost technology. The Core i5-8250U can also execute up to eight threads simultaneously with Intel Hyper-Threading.

The CPU is generally 40% faster in multi-core benchmarks than its predecessor, the Core i5-7200U, primarily because of its higher boost clock and core count. The Core i5-8250U integrates a DDR4 RAM controller and Intel UHD Graphics 620, which reduces CPU load by handling video encoding and decoding tasks among other graphically intensive tasks.

03570105140175210245280315350385420455490525560595Tooltip
Huawei MateBook D 14 W50F Intel Core i5-8250U, Intel Core i5-8250U: Ø525 (518.44-565)
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13IKB Intel Core i5-8250U, Intel Core i5-8250U: Ø513 (509.4-516.39)
HP EliteBook 745 G5 3UN74EA AMD Ryzen 7 2700U, AMD Ryzen 7 2700U: Ø539 (523-626)
MSI Prestige PS42 8RB-059 Intel Core i7-8550U, Intel Core i7-8550U: Ø499 (478.26-503.96)

We subjected our test device to a loop of the Cinebench R15 multi-core benchmark to assess how well it maintains its peak performance. In short, the W50F scored higher than our Intel-powered comparison devices and finished just behind the Ryzen 7 2700U-powered EliteBook 745 G5.

Our test device initially scored 565 points in Cinebench R15, which is over 10% higher than the Core i5-8250U in the IdeaPad 720S-13IKB. It also outscored the Core i7-8550U in the PS42 8RB Prestige by the same margin, which is the more surprising of the two since the Core i7-8550U is theoretically the more powerful CPU. The W50F cannot initially compete with the EliteBook 745 G5 though, as its Ryzen 7 2700U scored above 600 points in the first three loops of the benchmark.

Our test device then dropped to 518 points in the second round and fluctuated between 518 and 526 points for the remainder of the benchmark loop. This equates to an acceptable 8% performance drop. The W50F finished the benchmark loop above the IdeaPad 720S and the PS42 8RB Prestige, although the margins between our test device and all our comparison devices had shrunk drastically. Overall, the Core i5-8250U utilises its Turbo Boost well, albeit not perfectly. Performance drops further when we tested the W50F on battery, but not drastically or unexpectedly so.

Overall, the W50F is considerably more powerful than the class average of office notebooks. Please keep in mind that this category includes much cheaper devices too that somewhat distort the average score.

Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Office
  (82.6 - 284, n=118, last 2 years)
215 Points +50%
MSI Prestige PS42 8RB-059
Intel Core i7-8550U
162 Points +13%
HP EliteBook 745 G5 3UN74EA
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
143 Points 0%
Huawei MateBook D 14 W50F
Intel Core i5-8250U
143 Points
Average Intel Core i5-8250U
  (81 - 147, n=97)
141.1 Points -1%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13IKB
Intel Core i5-8250U
138 Points -3%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Average of class Office
  (160.8 - 2642, n=120, last 2 years)
1380 Points +144%
HP EliteBook 745 G5 3UN74EA
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
630 Points +12%
Average Intel Core i5-8250U
  (320 - 730, n=101)
570 Points +1%
Huawei MateBook D 14 W50F
Intel Core i5-8250U
565 Points
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13IKB
Intel Core i5-8250U
506 Points -10%
MSI Prestige PS42 8RB-059
Intel Core i7-8550U
503 Points -11%
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
565 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
143 Points
Help

System Performance

Our test device performed well in system performance benchmarks too. The W50F finished second to the PS42 8RB Prestige in all PCMark 10 benchmarks, primarily because the latter has a more powerful CPU and a dedicated GPU. However, it easily beats the EliteBook 745 G5 and outscores it by 30% in the overall PCMark 10 score, although we cannot explain why.

The W50F feels snappy and responsive in daily use. The OS boots quickly and we noticed no slowdowns during heavy multitasking despite the system having just 8 GB RAM.

PCMark 10
Score
Average of class Office
  (2325 - 7157, n=105, last 2 years)
5312 Points +51%
MSI Prestige PS42 8RB-059
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, Toshiba KSG60ZMV512G
3753 Points +6%
Huawei MateBook D 14 W50F
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SanDisk SD9SN8W256G1027
3526 Points
Average Intel Core i5-8250U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (3358 - 4081, n=67)
3296 Points -7%
HP EliteBook 745 G5 3UN74EA
Vega 10, R7 2700U, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV256G
2712 Points -23%
Essentials
Average of class Office
  (5095 - 20841, n=105, last 2 years)
9781 Points +33%
Average Intel Core i5-8250U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (5855 - 9289, n=67)
7398 Points 0%
Huawei MateBook D 14 W50F
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SanDisk SD9SN8W256G1027
7373 Points
MSI Prestige PS42 8RB-059
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, Toshiba KSG60ZMV512G
7050 Points -4%
HP EliteBook 745 G5 3UN74EA
Vega 10, R7 2700U, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV256G
5732 Points -22%
Productivity
Average of class Office
  (3041 - 10198, n=105, last 2 years)
7439 Points +29%
MSI Prestige PS42 8RB-059
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, Toshiba KSG60ZMV512G
5811 Points +1%
Huawei MateBook D 14 W50F
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SanDisk SD9SN8W256G1027
5758 Points
Average Intel Core i5-8250U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (3851 - 6653, n=67)
5725 Points -1%
HP EliteBook 745 G5 3UN74EA
Vega 10, R7 2700U, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV256G
3408 Points -41%
Digital Content Creation
Average of class Office
  (1912 - 9056, n=105, last 2 years)
5732 Points +104%
MSI Prestige PS42 8RB-059
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, Toshiba KSG60ZMV512G
3503 Points +25%
Huawei MateBook D 14 W50F
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SanDisk SD9SN8W256G1027
2804 Points
HP EliteBook 745 G5 3UN74EA
Vega 10, R7 2700U, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV256G
2772 Points -1%
Average Intel Core i5-8250U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (2613 - 3082, n=67)
2733 Points -3%

Storage Devices

Huawei has equipped our test device with a SATA III SanDisk SSD. SATA III SSDs can only reach a maximum speed of 600 MB/s, which is considerably slower than their NVMe counterparts. Looking at our comparison table reveals the differences in transfer speeds. The IdeaPad 720S-13IKB crushes our test device in CrystalDiskMark 3.0 thanks to its Samsung PM961 NVMe SSD.

Users may not notice the difference between SATA III and NVMe SSDs in practice, but we would expect to see the latter in $1,000-laptops that are released in 2018.

Huawei MateBook D 14 W50F
SanDisk SD9SN8W256G1027
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13IKB
Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
HP EliteBook 745 G5 3UN74EA
Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV256G
Average SanDisk SD9SN8W256G1027
 
CrystalDiskMark 3.0
118%
51%
0%
Read Seq
522
1674
221%
1549
197%
506 ?(470 - 527, n=3)
-3%
Write Seq
446.2
1191
167%
269.7
-40%
441 ?(425 - 453, n=3)
-1%
Read 512
310.1
658
112%
823
165%
308 ?(305 - 310, n=3)
-1%
Write 512
387.3
852
120%
298.1
-23%
347 ?(245 - 408, n=3)
-10%
Read 4k
24.27
51.8
113%
24.9
3%
26.8 ?(24.3 - 29.9, n=3)
10%
Write 4k
53
114.9
117%
97.1
83%
54.4 ?(53 - 56.6, n=3)
3%
Read 4k QD32
243.1
349.2
44%
310.6
28%
254 ?(169.3 - 351, n=3)
4%
Write 4k QD32
222.4
332.2
49%
208.4
-6%
225 ?(149.1 - 305, n=3)
1%
SanDisk SD9SN8W256G1027
Sequential Read: 522 MB/s
Sequential Write: 446.2 MB/s
512K Read: 310.1 MB/s
512K Write: 387.3 MB/s
4K Read: 24.27 MB/s
4K Write: 53 MB/s
4K QD32 Read: 243.1 MB/s
4K QD32 Write: 222.4 MB/s

Graphics Card

The UHD Graphics 620 can clock up to 1,100 MHz and is technically identical to its predecessor, the Intel HD Graphics 620. The integrated GPU shares its TDP with the CPU and can handle 2D tasks easily. The UHD Graphics 620 will struggle with 3D tasks though compared to dedicated GPUs like the GeForce MX150. Our test device noticeably outperforms the UHD Graphics 620 in the IdeaPad 720S-13IKB because the former runs in dual-channel mode. This means that Huawei has equipped the W50F with two 4 GB RAM modules compared to the one 8 GB module in the IdeaPad. Systems running in single-channel mode can be switched to dual-channel mode by adding a second identical RAM module; this is only possible with laptops that have SO-DIMM slots though. By contrast, the UHD Graphics 620 cannot compete with the Radeon RX Vega 10 or the GeForce MX150 in 3DMark 11 or in gaming benchmarks.

Our test device’s Fire Strike score drops by around 8% when we tested it on battery. This is an expected performance loss for a UHD Graphics 620-powered device.

3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU
Average of class Office
  (1474 - 12230, n=115, last 2 years)
5878 Points +231%
MSI Prestige PS42 8RB-059
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i7-8550U
4686 Points +164%
HP EliteBook 745 G5 3UN74EA
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
2885 Points +62%
Huawei MateBook D 14 W50F
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8250U
1776 Points
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (1144 - 3432, n=244)
1749 Points -2%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13IKB
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8250U
1537 Points -13%
3DMark
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics
Average of class Office
  (5681 - 58068, n=98, last 2 years)
23871 Points +145%
MSI Prestige PS42 8RB-059
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i7-8550U
21586 Points +122%
HP EliteBook 745 G5 3UN74EA
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
10604 Points +9%
Huawei MateBook D 14 W50F
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8250U
9730 Points
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (6205 - 16400, n=225)
9262 Points -5%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13IKB
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8250U
8025 Points -18%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Average of class Office
  (712 - 8815, n=117, last 2 years)
4072 Points +227%
MSI Prestige PS42 8RB-059
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i7-8550U
3712 Points +198%
HP EliteBook 745 G5 3UN74EA
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
1738 Points +40%
Huawei MateBook D 14 W50F
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8250U
1245 Points
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (557 - 2608, n=213)
1161 Points -7%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13IKB
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8250U
954 Points -23%
3DMark 11 Performance
1977 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
8497 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
1146 points
Help

Gaming Performance

Dual-channel RAM or not, the Intel UHD Graphics 620 is not powerful enough for most modern games. Our test device can play BioShock Infinite comfortably in 1280x720 on the “Very Low” preset, but it only averages an unplayable 22.7 FPS in Rise of the Tomb Raider in 1204x768 at minimum graphics. By contrast, the W50F achieves higher than average framerates for UHD Graphics 620-equipped devices in Farming Simulator 17

The W50F can handle older games like Diablo III or StarCraft II at high settings though. Overall, we would recommend the PS42 8RB Prestige with its GeForce MX150 out of our comparison devices if you want a laptop that is powerful enough for light gaming.

BioShock Infinite
1280x720 Very Low Preset
MSI Prestige PS42 8RB-059
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, Toshiba KSG60ZMV512G
187.2 fps +166%
HP EliteBook 745 G5 3UN74EA
Vega 10, R7 2700U, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV256G
84.7 fps +20%
Huawei MateBook D 14 W50F
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SanDisk SD9SN8W256G1027
70.5 fps
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (18.3 - 90.2, n=187)
60.7 fps -14%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13IKB
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
49.6 fps -30%
1366x768 Medium Preset
MSI Prestige PS42 8RB-059
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, Toshiba KSG60ZMV512G
113.1 fps +213%
Huawei MateBook D 14 W50F
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SanDisk SD9SN8W256G1027
36.1 fps
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (11.5 - 45.5, n=187)
32.8 fps -9%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13IKB
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
27.6 fps -24%
1366x768 High Preset
MSI Prestige PS42 8RB-059
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, Toshiba KSG60ZMV512G
95.6 fps +211%
Huawei MateBook D 14 W50F
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SanDisk SD9SN8W256G1027
30.7 fps
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (8.1 - 35.9, n=187)
27.5 fps -10%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13IKB
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
22.6 fps -26%
Rise of the Tomb Raider - 1024x768 Lowest Preset
MSI Prestige PS42 8RB-059
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, Toshiba KSG60ZMV512G
77.1 fps +240%
HP EliteBook 745 G5 3UN74EA
Vega 10, R7 2700U, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV256G
33.5 fps +48%
Huawei MateBook D 14 W50F
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SanDisk SD9SN8W256G1027
22.7 fps
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (10.4 - 110.7, n=82)
21.4 fps -6%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13IKB
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
19.5 fps -14%
Farming Simulator 17
1366x768 Medium Preset
Huawei MateBook D 14 W50F
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SanDisk SD9SN8W256G1027
62 fps
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (8 - 67.9, n=12)
50.1 fps -19%
1920x1080 High Preset AA:2xMS AF:2x
Huawei MateBook D 14 W50F
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SanDisk SD9SN8W256G1027
26.2 fps
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (18.8 - 26.2, n=11)
22.7 fps -13%
low med. high ultra
BioShock Infinite (2013) 70.5 36.1 30.7 9.9
Rise of the Tomb Raider (2016) 22.7
Farming Simulator 17 (2016) 62 26.2

Emissions

Fan Noise

Speaker characteristics
Speaker characteristics

Our test device usually operates silently at idle, while the fan remains quiet even during short bursts of CPU or GPU-intensive tasks. However, benchmarks like Kraken 1.1 cause the fan to spin up too much for our liking, the behaviour of which we found frustrating during testing. Generally, the fan is audible at low RPMs when sat close to the device.

The fan initially reaches a maximum of 33.6 dB(A) during a FurMark and Prime95 combined stress test, but it quietens down slightly as our test device starts to thermal throttle. The fan is still audible from between three and four metres (~10-13 feet) away though. Thankfully, the fan noise did not sound annoying throughout our tests.

Noise Level

Idle
30.5 / 30.5 / 30.5 dB(A)
Load
33.6 / 32.6 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   Audix TM1, Arta (15 cm distance)   environment noise: 30.5 dB(A)
dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2031.630.231.631.62532.529.331.332.53135.731.331.135.74032.130.429.432.15030.229.531.830.26329.327.827.529.38027.327.526.527.310027.126.22527.112525.225.124.425.21602423.923.62420023.623.822.523.625022.822.422.122.831522.722.721.622.740022.421.720.222.450020.820.619.720.86302019.818.92080020.920.118.220.9100023.523.317.823.5125022.521.317.722.5160023.92117.423.9200022.121.317.922.1250022.920.917.922.9315021.52017.921.5400019.618.918.219.6500019.418.918.119.463001918.918.519800018.818.618.518.81000018.718.618.518.71250018.918.618.318.91600019.318.618.319.3SPL33.632.630.533.6N1.81.61.31.8median 22.1median 20.9median 18.5median 22.1Delta1.92.11.21.95045.34647.544.25045.84543.742.340.245.83332.53332.431.63332.833.133.130.731.532.831.532.430.428.830.231.530.533.733.231.930.530.529.730.731.326.427.229.733.432.73229.428.433.428.127.127.426.425.428.131.228.829.228.42731.225.326.425.723.623.425.327.926.126.225.424.127.925.325.62522.822.525.325.624.724.223.422.125.624.524.223.521.92124.523.323.2232119.923.324.723.822.819.719.224.723.523.92219.518.923.522.122.520.918.71822.122.122.52118.117.122.122.323.32117.71722.322.122.921.517.616.722.121.52320.716.816.421.525.125.520.816.816.225.120.622.918.816.816.220.618.519.317.916.816.318.51818.517.81716.31817.71817.617.116.417.71818.217.817.216.71818.118.217.917.517.118.134.735.133.330.930.134.72.32.321.51.42.3median 23.3median 23.3median 21.5median 18.7median 18median 23.32.42.63.23.12.72.439.336.332.739.339.237.53539.248.443.237.248.435.337.531.835.332.732.230.332.730.129.230.830.12730.126.62727.227.827.527.226.728.225.526.72525.124.32523.124.723.323.123.724.422.623.722.723.721.822.72222.220.7222121.519.92120.921.719.420.923.623.718.623.624.224.518.424.223.924.117.823.925.725.417.625.7262617.72626.326.517.626.326.12618.126.122.722.918.222.721.721.918.521.719.819.918.519.819.11918.719.11919.118.81919.119.118.919.119.820.219.119.835.93630.735.92.22.21.32.2median 23.1median 23.7median 18.8median 23.12.72.41.92.7hearing rangehide median Fan NoiseHuawei MateBook D 14 W50FLenovo Ideapad 720S-13IKBHP EliteBook 745 G5 3UN74EA

Temperature

The MateBook D 14 W50F during a stress test
The MateBook D 14 W50F during a stress test

Surface temperatures are cool at idle, averaging 26.15 °C across the keyboard deck and the bottom case. However, the W50F will feel hot to the touch in some areas when it is operating under sustained load. Our test device reaches a maximum of 44.2 °C on one area of the bottom case, which did not feel comfortable when resting on our lap. Equally, the trackpad heats up to over 38 °C, which felt noticeably warm to the touch. The palm rest remains below 30 °C though, which is a pleasant temperature.

We subjected our test device to a combined FurMark and Prime95 stress test for one hour to determine whether the system thermal throttles. Please bear in mind that our stress tests push devices to their limits and do not represent their thermal performance in daily use.

In short, the CPU thermal throttles. The clock speed dropped to 1.3 GHz, 300 MHz below the 1.6 GHz base clock, within moments of starting the combined stress test. The clock speed then varied between 1.2 and 1.3 GHz for the remainder of the stress test while core temperatures consistently fluctuated between 67 and 70 °C. By contrast, the GPU worked steadily between 900 and 950 MHz for the whole hour, which is only a few hundred MHz short of its peak clock speed.

 27.4 °C
81 F
27.2 °C
81 F
26.1 °C
79 F
 
 27.2 °C
81 F
26 °C
79 F
24.8 °C
77 F
 
 25.7 °C
78 F
24.9 °C
77 F
25 °C
77 F
 
Maximum: 27.4 °C = 81 F
Average: 26 °C = 79 F
26.4 °C
80 F
27 °C
81 F
27.6 °C
82 F
25.8 °C
78 F
26.7 °C
80 F
27.1 °C
81 F
24.8 °C
77 F
25.7 °C
78 F
26 °C
79 F
Maximum: 27.6 °C = 82 F
Average: 26.3 °C = 79 F
Power Supply (max.)  32.4 °C = 90 F | Room Temperature 22.5 °C = 73 F | FIRT 550-Pocket
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 36.5 °C / 98 F, compared to the average of 29.5 °C / 85 F for the devices in the class Office.
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 41.6 °C / 107 F, compared to the average of 34.2 °C / 94 F, ranging from 21.2 to 62.5 °C for the class Office.
(±) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 44.2 °C / 112 F, compared to the average of 36.7 °C / 98 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 26 °C / 79 F, compared to the device average of 29.5 °C / 85 F.
(±) The palmrests and touchpad can get very hot to the touch with a maximum of 38.3 °C / 100.9 F.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 27.7 °C / 81.9 F (-10.6 °C / -19 F).
Heat map of the top case at idle
Heat map of the top case at idle
Heat map of the bottom case at idle
Heat map of the bottom case at idle
Heat map of the top case under load
Heat map of the top case under load
Heat map of the bottom case under load
Heat map of the bottom case under load

Speakers

Huawei advertises the MateBook D 14 2018 as having Dolby Atmos sound among other things. To quote Huawei:

“Quad speaker split-frequency offers woofers with deep, resonant bass and tweeters with clear treble for a crisp, immersive sound experience. Hear in 3D with the Dolby Atmos® Sound System that makes sure distortions are minimised, letting you hear every detail from all angles.”

Predictably, our tests do not confirm the marketing hype. However, the stereo upwards-firing speakers produce above average sound for a notebook. Audio sounds balanced with decent dynamics despite the lack of bass tones, while we did not notice any shrillness even at high volumes. Dolby Atmos has a graphic equalizer and music profiles, which help to improve the sound, although the differences in sound are subtle. Speech in films sounds natural, while some music even has a sense of space to it. Overall, we are impressed by the W50F’s speakers but do not expect what Huawei advertises.

Pink Noise curves
Pink Noise curves
Dolby Atmos settings
Dolby Atmos settings
Dolby Atmos settings
Dolby Atmos settings
dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2031.731.631.72531.831.331.83132.231.132.24030.429.430.45030.431.830.46329.227.529.28027.126.527.110031253112536.624.436.616039.223.639.220036.422.536.425049.522.149.531559.321.659.340064.520.264.550059.119.759.163058.518.958.58007018.270100071.817.871.812507217.772160070.417.470.4200065.517.965.5250063.217.963.2315064.217.964.240006618.266500060.718.160.7630060.118.560.1800058.618.558.61000056.318.556.31250054.818.354.81600050.818.350.8SPL78.930.578.9N39.21.339.2median 59.3median 18.5median 59.3Delta7.51.27.547.244.247.240.340.240.336.631.636.63831.53838.630.238.638.830.538.840.127.240.141.728.441.741.125.441.144.82744.850.223.450.254.624.154.659.122.559.158.422.158.459.52159.559.519.959.56619.26661.718.961.755.61855.65717.15754.81754.853.516.753.550.516.450.547.316.247.346.116.246.147.616.347.649.116.349.149.616.449.64816.74850.517.150.569.330.169.324.21.424.2median 50.5median 18median 50.552.7537.932.737.935.83535.840.137.240.133.231.833.232.630.332.628.730.828.729.326.629.329.227.529.232.725.532.736.524.336.544.323.344.341.622.641.654.821.854.86820.76863.919.963.965.319.465.363.318.663.368.718.468.771.217.871.270.817.670.866.917.766.970.917.670.970.118.170.167.518.267.570.118.570.169.818.569.86618.76670.818.870.86718.96758.119.158.18130.78147.71.347.7median 66.9median 18.8median 66.99.11.99.136.537.736.637.933.131.632.331.931.232.130.531.62929.928.728.827.130.826.929.126.235.926.54425.653.224.752.124.750.524.358.324.162.923.56223.765.223.362.223.260.523.16223.359.42366.92368.223.268.223.168.222.962.82354.822.962.335.676.52.536.7median 23.5median 60.517.9hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseHuawei MateBook D 14 W50FLenovo Ideapad 720S-13IKBHP EliteBook 745 G5 3UN74EAMSI Prestige PS42 8RB-059
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Huawei MateBook D 14 W50F audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (72 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 17.3% lower than median
(-) | bass is not linear (15.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 7.4% higher than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (9.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (5.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (23.2% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 61% of all tested devices in this class were better, 9% similar, 30% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 22%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 64% of all tested devices were better, 6% similar, 29% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13IKB audio analysis

(-) | not very loud speakers (66 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 6.2% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (10.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 8.6% higher than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (8.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.2% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (5.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (20.8% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 42% of all tested devices in this class were better, 11% similar, 47% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 22%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 51% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 41% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

HP EliteBook 745 G5 3UN74EA audio analysis

(-) | not very loud speakers (71.2 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 27.1% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (10.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.4% away from median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (8.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.7% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (5.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (20.2% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 37% of all tested devices in this class were better, 12% similar, 52% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 22%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 47% of all tested devices were better, 9% similar, 45% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

MSI Prestige PS42 8RB-059 audio analysis

(-) | not very loud speakers (68.2 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 23.5% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (13.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 3.9% away from median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (8.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 4.9% away from median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (7.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (27.4% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 84% of all tested devices in this class were better, 5% similar, 11% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 22%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 81% of all tested devices were better, 4% similar, 15% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Power Management

Power Consumption

The W50F is a comparatively energy-efficient device. Our test device has better power consumption than all our comparison devices and is considerably more economic than the average of office notebooks that we have already tested.

Our test device consumes an average of 6.9 W at idle, which increases up to a maximum of 32.6 W under sustained load. These values put the W50F 10% ahead of the similarly equipped IdeaPad 720S-13IKB and way ahead of both the EliteBook 745 G5 and the PS42 8RB Prestige. We expected the latter result though as the PS42 8RB Prestige has a more powerful CPU and a dedicated GPU. Overall, the W50F has comparatively low power consumption.

Huawei includes a 65 W USB Type-C charger. We encountered no issues with the charger that came with our device during our tests. The charger is powerful enough to charge the W50F even when the device is operating under sustained load.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.4 / 0.5 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 3.7 / 6.9 / 8.4 Watt
Load midlight 32 / 32.6 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 D 14 W50F
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620, SanDisk SD9SN8W256G1027, IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13IKB
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP, IPS, 1920x1080, 13.30
HP EliteBook 745 G5 3UN74EA
R7 2700U, Vega 10, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV256G, IPS LED, 1920x1080, 14.00
MSI Prestige PS42 8RB-059
i5-8550U, GeForce MX150, Toshiba KSG60ZMV512G, IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
 
Average of class Office
 
Power Consumption
-10%
-21%
-48%
-13%
-26%
Idle Minimum *
3.7
3.9
-5%
4.9
-32%
5.6
-51%
3.81 ?(1 - 12.4, n=259)
-3%
4.27 ?(2.2 - 9.4, n=107, last 2 years)
-15%
Idle Average *
6.9
7.7
-12%
8.1
-17%
6.5
6%
6.94 ?(2.8 - 15.7, n=261)
-1%
7.32 ?(3.8 - 20.6, n=107, last 2 years)
-6%
Idle Maximum *
8.4
10.4
-24%
10.6
-26%
7.9
6%
8.75 ?(3.8 - 30, n=259)
-4%
9.1 ?(4.8 - 23.9, n=107, last 2 years)
-8%
Load Average *
32
33.3
-4%
32.2
-1%
62.3
-95%
35 ?(8.1 - 51.6, n=259)
-9%
40.4 ?(8.7 - 75.2, n=106, last 2 years)
-26%
Load Maximum *
32.6
34
-4%
42.3
-30%
67
-106%
47.5 ?(22 - 96.3, n=261)
-46%
57.4 ?(11.1 - 101.4, n=107, last 2 years)
-76%
Witcher 3 ultra *
55.7

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

The W50F has a 57 Wh battery, which is larger than all our comparison devices. Surprisingly, our test device finished second to the PS42 8RB Prestige overall in our comparison table, despite the latter having a 7 Wh smaller battery and more-powerful components. The PS42 8RB Prestige is an exception for laptops with 50 Wh batteries though.

Our test device lasted just under 10 hours in our Wi-Fi battery life test, which is just short of the IdeaPad 720S-13IKB with its 46 Wh battery. The W50F excelled in our three other battery life tests though, in which it finished first in all. The 57 Wh battery lasted 12 h 5 m in our H.264 video loop battery life test, which highlights how underwhelming its Wi-Fi runtime is. Overall, the W50F should last a full day of moderate use.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
23h 34min
WiFi Websurfing
9h 57min
Big Buck Bunny H.264 1080p
12h 05min
Load (maximum brightness)
2h 9min
Huawei MateBook D 14 W50F
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620, 57 Wh
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13IKB
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620, 46 Wh
HP EliteBook 745 G5 3UN74EA
R7 2700U, Vega 10, 50 Wh
MSI Prestige PS42 8RB-059
i5-8550U, GeForce MX150, 50 Wh
Average of class Office
 
Battery Runtime
-18%
-39%
4%
-4%
Reader / Idle
1414
1035
-27%
639
-55%
1010
-29%
1414 ?(527 - 2359, n=23, last 2 years)
0%
H.264
725
426
-41%
691 ?(348 - 1112, n=40, last 2 years)
-5%
WiFi v1.3
597
608
2%
394
-34%
893
50%
589 ?(272 - 1137, n=107, last 2 years)
-1%
Load
129
91
-29%
95
-26%
118
-9%
117 ?(56 - 209, n=65, last 2 years)
-9%

Verdict

Pros

+ solid, premium case
+ relatively compact
+ good security features
+ well-calibrated display
+ quiet
+ listenable speakers
+ energy-efficient
+ long battery life

Cons

- meagre port selection
- the keyboard has too shallow a stroke for our liking
- below par contrast ratio and maximum brightness
- low colour-space coverage
- poor viewing angles for an IPS display
- comparatively slow SSD
- fan occasionally gets unnecessarily loud
The Huawei MateBook D 14 W50F Laptop review. Test device courtesy of notebooksbilliger.de
The Huawei MateBook D 14 W50F Laptop review. Test device courtesy of notebooksbilliger.de

We decided to classify the Huawei MateBook D 14 W50F as a premium office notebook in the end, although this has no bearing on its rating. The W50F has a compact and well-built case with decent security features. However, we are not huge fans of its keyboard nor its mediocre display or its meagre selection of ports. Moreover, the decision to equip the device with a SATA III SSD is one which we would question even on a 500-Euro (~$575) laptop, let alone one that costs 999 Euros (~$1,140).

The Huawei MateBook D 14 W50F is a compact and reliable office laptop that has plenty going for it. Unfortunately, a few areas let it down, particularly its underwhelming display.

The more-expensive W60B model, with its GeForce MX150 and Core i7-8550U processor, could prove a better competitor against the MSI PS42 8RB Prestige. The MateBook D 14 W60B is smaller and cheaper, but the MSI is lighter and has a noticeably better display. Moreover, the Lenovo IdeaPad 720S-13IKB has a Thunderbolt 3 port for those who need that, while the HP EliteBook 745 G5 scores a few more points for its additional ports and its Windows 10 Pro licence among other things. Overall, the Huawei MateBook D 14 W50F is an impressive laptop that fares well against the competition.

Huawei MateBook D 14 W50F - 11/15/2018 v6(old)
Sven Kloevekorn

Chassis
85 / 98 → 87%
Keyboard
87%
Pointing Device
91%
Connectivity
49 / 80 → 62%
Weight
69 / 20-67 → 100%
Battery
93%
Display
85%
Games Performance
56 / 68 → 82%
Application Performance
88 / 92 → 96%
Temperature
91%
Noise
91%
Audio
69%
Camera
54 / 85 → 63%
Average
78%
87%
Office - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Huawei MateBook D 14 W50F (Core i5-8250U, 8 GB, 256 GB) Laptop Review
Sven Kloevekorn, 2018-11-17 (Update: 2019-02-26)