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MagyarHuawei MateBook D 16 in review: A lot of AMD power and hardly any points of criticism
We have the current Huawei MateBook D 16-53011VFJ in for review. It's equipped with the AMD Ryzen 5 4600H including the AMD Radeon RX Vega 6 graphics solution and 16 GB of DDR4 RAM at 3,200 MHz.
It is a well-known fact that the MateBook D 16 and the Honor MagicBook Pro, which also has a size of 16.1 inches, are very similar. After all, Honor was a Huawei brand until recently, and they shared resources during development. This raises the question of which device is the better choice. Therefore, we compare the MateBook D 16, which is currently only available with the AMD Ryzen 5 4600H, with the Honor MagicBook Pro, among others, which is also available with the Intel Core i5-10210U besides being equipped with the identical AMD chip. Which is the better choice? And how does the device compare to laptops in this price range made by other manufacturers, such as the Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-511A?
Possible contenders in comparison
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Height | Size | Resolution | Best Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 86 % | 04/2021 | Huawei MateBook D 16-53011VFJ R5 4600H, Vega 6 | 1.7 kg | 18.4 mm | 16.10" | 1920x1080 | |
| 84.5 % | 11/2020 | Honor MagicBook Pro (AMD) R5 4600H, Vega 6 | 1.7 kg | 16.9 mm | 16.10" | 1920x1080 | |
| 84.1 % | 03/2021 | Honor MagicBook Pro 10210U i5-10210U, GeForce MX350 | 1.7 kg | 16.9 mm | 16.10" | 1920x1080 | |
| 81.4 % | 02/2021 | Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-511A i5-1135G7, Iris Xe G7 80EUs | 1.9 kg | 18 mm | 15.60" | 1920x1080 | |
| 82.8 % | 04/2021 | Lenovo ThinkBook 15 Gen2 ITL i5-1135G7, Iris Xe G7 80EUs | 1.8 kg | 18.9 mm | 15.60" | 1920x1080 |
Case: Elegant metal case in Space Gray
The Huawei MateBook D 16 comes in a dark gray metal case. Huawei calls the color "Space Gray". This makes the device darker than the silver-colored MagicBook Pro. The device feels high-quality, even though the surface unfortunately attracts fingerprints.
The build quality is also quite high. The gap dimensions of our test device are correct, which isn't always a given for devices under 1,000 Euros (~$1,209).
The resistance provided by the hinges is well balanced. The device can be opened with one hand when it's placed on a table. Although the display remains stable in its position, it wobbles slightly when the laptop is moved.
In terms of looks, the MateBook D 16 and the two MagicBook Pro variants with the 10210U and the 4600H are very similar. The footprint is also completely identical. However, Huawei's device is one millimeter thicker, which is negligible considering it's less than two centimeters thick. If we compare the 16.1-inch MateBook D 16 with the two 15.6-inch comparison models, the Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-511A and the Lenovo ThinkBook 15 Gen 2 ITL, it's only one centimeter wider and even thinner in some cases.
Our review sample doesn't need to hide when it comes to weight either. At 1.7 kg, it even weighs less than the aforementioned 15.6-inch devices. Even though the MateBook D 16 isn't among the ultra-thin and ultra-light models that are usually more expensive, it's well suited for on-the-go use.
Connectivity: Four USB ports but no Thunderbolt
The port configuration is relatively modest, but it's sufficient for most purposes. The MateBook D 16 has four USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, which are divided evenly between USB-A and USB-C ports. However, Thunderbolt is not available.
Compared with the very similar Honor MagicBook Pro, the MateBook D 16 offers a decisive advantage: It has two USB-C ports installed. Since one of them is used for power supply, the other one remains free. The USB-C connection is combined with DisplayPort (max. 4K @120 Hz), so that there is an additional option for an external monitor besides the HDMI 2.0 port. The ports are quite close to one another but don't interfere with each other.
Communication
The MateBook D 16 doesn't have a network port. In return, however, it has Bluetooth 5.1 and the fast Wi-Fi 6 standard thanks to the Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200 module for wireless communication. Nevertheless, it's sometimes clearly outmatched by AX201-equipped models. But speed is still sufficient for smooth browsing and fast downloads, especially since the device is clearly ahead of the Honor MagicBook Pro 4600H.
Webcam
The integrated webcam has a resolution of 720p and offers a below-average quality. It's good enough for video calls and the like. This would actually suffice as a statement if we weren't dealing with a laptop from Huawei. The manufacturer is known for not placing the webcam in the traditional position at the top screen bezel; instead, Huawei hides it in the keyboard between the F6 and F7 keys.
This is convenient because the camera can be completely closed mechanically and the screen bezels can be thinner. However, the resulting viewing angle from an oblique bottom perspective is not favorable. This makes even slender people prone to showing a double chin. Users who want to use the device a lot for video calls should use an external camera.
Accessories
Apart from the compact 65-watt power adapter that comes in white and is equipped with a USB-C connector, and the usual documentation, no accessories are included.
Maintenance
Access to the device's interior is blocked by 10 tiny Torx screws. There is no maintenance hatch.
Warranty
Huawei provides the usual two-year manufacturer's warranty out of the box. Warranty extensions are not offered.
Input devices: Speakers flank solid keyboard
Keyboard
Huawei would have actually had room for a keyboard with a number pad in the 16-incher. However, the manufacturer deliberately omits this. Instead, the same chiclet keyboard as in the smaller D 14 and D 15 models is used. Huawei uses the extra space to position the stereo speakers to the left and right of the keyboard. Huawei also places the power button and fingerprint sensor on the right side.
The noise produced when typing is low, apart from the space bar, which is often a bit louder. The layout is standard, and the keys are big enough, which means that you can quickly find your way around as well as achieve a satisfactory experience. Another advantage is the backlight. There are certainly better laptop keyboards. However, the performance provided is absolutely okay for this price range.
Touchpad
The touchpad is sufficiently large at around 12 x 7 cm and offers a smooth and pleasant surface. It responds smoothly and accurately. However, the device has to put up with criticism when it comes to the two click surfaces at the lower edge. These aren't easy to find with the fingers, and they are also quite loud.
Display: Matte and sufficiently bright
Huawei installs a 16.1-inch IPS panel in the MateBook D 16. It has a resolution of Full HD (1920x1080 pixels) with a 16:9 aspect ratio. The image brightness is over 300 cd/m² in all areas, and it's also distributed quite evenly across the surface. The display shows very slight screen bleeding in the upper corners, but this doesn't lead to any restrictions in everyday use.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 89 %
Center on Battery: 343 cd/m²
Contrast: 1257:1 (Black: 0.28 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 1.35 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 2.02 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
99% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
63% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
69% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
99% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
66.8% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.49
| Huawei MateBook D 16-53011VFJ N161HCA-EA3, IPS, 1920x1080, 16.10 | Honor MagicBook Pro (AMD) N161HCA-EA3, IPS, 1920x1080, 16.10 | Honor MagicBook Pro 10210U Chi Mei N161HCA-EA3, IPS, 1920x1080, 16.10 | Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-511A LG Philips LGD065A, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60 | Lenovo ThinkBook 15 Gen2 ITL LG Philips LP156WFC-SPD7, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display | -9% | 0% | -43% | -40% | |
| Display P3 Coverage | 66.8 | 67.5 1% | 67 0% | 38.32 -43% | 40.36 -40% |
| sRGB Coverage | 99 | 69.7 -30% | 99.3 0% | 57.5 -42% | 60.4 -39% |
| AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 69 | 69.7 1% | 69.2 0% | 39.6 -43% | 41.72 -40% |
| Response Times | 281% | 286% | -38% | -49% | |
| Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 25 ? | 37.6 ? -50% | 35.2 ? -41% | 37 ? -48% | 40 ? -60% |
| Response Time Black / White * | 22 ? | 25.6 ? -16% | 22 ? -0% | 28 ? -27% | 30.4 ? -38% |
| PWM Frequency | 2500 ? | 25250 ? 910% | 25000 ? 900% | ||
| Screen | 20% | 3% | -62% | -116% | |
| Brightness middle | 352 | 337 -4% | 339 -4% | 285 -19% | 288 -18% |
| Brightness | 330 | 312 -5% | 317 -4% | 255 -23% | 276 -16% |
| Brightness Distribution | 89 | 89 0% | 86 -3% | 84 -6% | 87 -2% |
| Black Level * | 0.28 | 0.2 29% | 0.25 11% | 0.325 -16% | 0.26 7% |
| Contrast | 1257 | 1685 34% | 1356 8% | 877 -30% | 1108 -12% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 1.35 | 0.8 41% | 0.9 33% | 4.23 -213% | 5.9 -337% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 2.58 | 1.1 57% | 2.92 -13% | 7.94 -208% | 18.4 -613% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 2.02 | 1 50% | 2 1% | 2.51 -24% | 3.8 -88% |
| Gamma | 2.49 88% | 2.2 100% | 2.238 98% | 2.57 86% | 2.34 94% |
| CCT | 6445 101% | 6538 99% | 6631 98% | 6626 98% | 6856 95% |
| Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998) | 63 | 63.8 1% | 69 10% | 36 -43% | 38.1 -40% |
| Color Space (Percent of sRGB) | 99 | 99.5 1% | 92 -7% | 57 -42% | 60 -39% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated * | 0.7 | 0.74 | 3.75 | 4.9 | |
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | 97% /
64% | 96% /
56% | -48% /
-55% | -68% /
-92% |
* ... smaller is better
Huawei has to give way to the two MagicBook Pro comparison models in terms of color reproduction and contrast. Overall, however, the device scores better than the other comparison candidates with 15.6-inch displays. Subjectively, the panel offers good picture quality.
The smaller sRGB color space is covered by 99%, while the AdobeRGB one is covered by a solid 63%. This is sufficient for normal users without professional requirements in terms of graphics or video editing, for which the MateBook D 16 doesn't offer enough performance in any case.
Due to the matte display, the device is also suitable for working outdoors. However, it lacks image brightness in very bright environments or in direct sunlight. Nevertheless, it's sufficient for working in the shade.
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 22 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 12 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 10 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 42 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is similar to the average of all tested devices (21.5 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 25 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 16 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 9 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows relatively slow response rates in our tests and may be too slow for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 30 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (33.7 ms). | ||
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM detected | 2500 Hz | ≤ 30 % brightness setting |  |
The display backlight flickers at 2500 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 30 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting. The frequency of 2500 Hz is quite high, so most users sensitive to PWM should not notice any flickering. In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 17900 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured. | |||
The high viewing-angle stability of the image is an advantage that is standard in IPS panels. The screen is still quite legible even from oblique viewing angles. However, a brighter panel would also be beneficial here.
Performance: A lot of performance for the money
Before we go into the overall performance of the multimedia laptop, which is currently not offered by Huawei in any alternative versions, as well as its individual components, a quick note in advance: Most benchmarks were run using the "Balanced" mode of Huawei's PC Manager. When switching to Performance mode, neither PCMark 10 nor 3DMark 11 resulted in noteworthy performance changes.
Processor
Like the MagicBook Pro, the MateBook D 16 is also equipped with the AMD Ryzen 4600H. The manufacturer configures it with a short-term TDP of 57 watts and a long-term TDP of 35 watts.
Both AMD models can position themselves at the same level in the different benchmarks. Huawei's MateBook maintains performance a bit more consistently in the long run. However, as expected, the difference is marginal. Compared with the 10th generation Intel chip in the MagicBook Pro 10210U, the AMD CPU performs much better. Only when competing against the other comparison candidates with the new Intel Core i5-1135G7 does our review sample have to admit defeat by a narrow margin when it comes to the single-core benchmarks.
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 Office (181.3 - 764, n=120, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 15 Gen2 ITL | |
| Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-511A | |
| Huawei MateBook D 16-53011VFJ | |
| Honor MagicBook Pro (AMD) | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 4600H (428 - 454, n=8) | |
| Honor MagicBook Pro 10210U | |
| Cinebench R20 / CPU (Multi Core) | |
| Honor MagicBook Pro (AMD) | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 4600H (3055 - 3393, n=8) | |
| Huawei MateBook D 16-53011VFJ | |
| Average of class Office (356 - 5904, n=120, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 15 Gen2 ITL | |
| Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-511A | |
| Honor MagicBook Pro 10210U | |
| Cinebench R15 / CPU Single 64Bit | |
| Average of class Office (82.6 - 284, n=118, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 15 Gen2 ITL | |
| Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-511A | |
| Huawei MateBook D 16-53011VFJ | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 4600H (172.1 - 179, n=9) | |
| Honor MagicBook Pro (AMD) | |
| Honor MagicBook Pro 10210U | |
| Cinebench R15 / CPU Multi 64Bit | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 4600H (1398 - 1467, n=10) | |
| Honor MagicBook Pro (AMD) | |
| Average of class Office (160.8 - 2642, n=120, last 2 years) | |
| Huawei MateBook D 16-53011VFJ | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 15 Gen2 ITL | |
| Honor MagicBook Pro 10210U | |
| Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-511A | |
| Blender / v2.79 BMW27 CPU | |
| Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-511A | |
| Honor MagicBook Pro 10210U | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 15 Gen2 ITL | |
| Average of class Office (214 - 2844, n=121, last 2 years) | |
| Honor MagicBook Pro (AMD) | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 4600H (337 - 369, n=6) | |
| Huawei MateBook D 16-53011VFJ | |
| 7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4 -mmt1 | |
| Average of class Office (2233 - 6687, n=121, last 2 years) | |
| Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-511A | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 15 Gen2 ITL | |
| Huawei MateBook D 16-53011VFJ | |
| Honor MagicBook Pro 10210U | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 4600H (4334 - 4471, n=6) | |
| Honor MagicBook Pro (AMD) | |
| 7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4 | |
| Honor MagicBook Pro (AMD) | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 4600H (36693 - 38873, n=6) | |
| Huawei MateBook D 16-53011VFJ | |
| Average of class Office (4226 - 62349, n=121, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 15 Gen2 ITL | |
| Honor MagicBook Pro 10210U | |
| Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-511A | |
| Geekbench 5.5 / Single-Core | |
| Average of class Office (510 - 1974, n=122, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 15 Gen2 ITL | |
| Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-511A | |
| Huawei MateBook D 16-53011VFJ | |
| Honor MagicBook Pro (AMD) | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 4600H (1099 - 1124, n=7) | |
| Honor MagicBook Pro 10210U | |
| Geekbench 5.5 / Multi-Core | |
| Average of class Office (1018 - 11980, n=122, last 2 years) | |
| Honor MagicBook Pro (AMD) | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 4600H (5260 - 6574, n=7) | |
| Huawei MateBook D 16-53011VFJ | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 15 Gen2 ITL | |
| Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-511A | |
| Honor MagicBook Pro 10210U | |
| HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2 / 4k Preset | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 4600H (9.27 - 10.4, n=5) | |
| Huawei MateBook D 16-53011VFJ | |
| Honor MagicBook Pro (AMD) | |
| Average of class Office (1.55 - 17.4, n=120, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 15 Gen2 ITL | |
| Honor MagicBook Pro 10210U | |
| Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-511A | |
| LibreOffice / 20 Documents To PDF | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 4600H (58.4 - 73.3, n=6) | |
| Honor MagicBook Pro (AMD) | |
| Huawei MateBook D 16-53011VFJ | |
| Honor MagicBook Pro 10210U | |
| Average of class Office (31.3 - 117.5, n=120, last 2 years) | |
| Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-511A | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 15 Gen2 ITL | |
| R Benchmark 2.5 / Overall mean | |
| Honor MagicBook Pro 10210U | |
| Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-511A | |
| Honor MagicBook Pro (AMD) | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 15 Gen2 ITL | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 4600H (0.607 - 0.627, n=6) | |
| Huawei MateBook D 16-53011VFJ | |
| Average of class Office (0.4244 - 1.397, n=119, last 2 years) | |
* ... smaller is better
System performance
The powerful CPU also shows its strength in terms of system performance. The MateBook D 16 ranks very high in the test field and offers the best performance across all benchmarks on average among the comparison candidates. Overall, the device delivers a lot of performance for its price range and is consequently a very good companion for everyday use.
| PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2 | 4652 points | |
| PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2 | 6183 points | |
| PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2 | 5317 points | |
| PCMark 10 Score | 5110 points | |
Help | ||
DPC latencies
The latencies determined in the test are clearly below the comparison devices. Admittedly, this is just a momentary snapshot. But it's an indication that the device is suitable for real-time audio applications.
| DPC Latencies / LatencyMon - interrupt to process latency (max), Web, Youtube, Prime95 | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 15 Gen2 ITL | |
| Honor MagicBook Pro (AMD) | |
| Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-511A | |
| Huawei MateBook D 16-53011VFJ | |
| Honor MagicBook Pro 10210U | |
* ... smaller is better
Storage
Huawei uses Samsung's PM981a SSD. Compared to the SSDs from WDC and Toshiba that are used in the two Honor models, the storage drive performs about 20% better across all benchmarks. The MateBook D 16 also performs 10% better than the average of all devices with the same Samsung SSD.
Around 400 GB out of the total of 512 GB is available out of the box. However, the majority of that is found on a second partition (D:), while the system disk C: has quite a small amount of free storage space with about 70 GB.
| Huawei MateBook D 16-53011VFJ Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB512HBJQ | Honor MagicBook Pro (AMD) WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G | Honor MagicBook Pro 10210U Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G | Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-511A Micron 2210 MTFDHBA1T0QFD | Lenovo ThinkBook 15 Gen2 ITL Samsung PM991 MZALQ512HALU | Average Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB512HBJQ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6 | -19% | -20% | -16% | -29% | -9% | |
| Write 4K | 147 | 156.9 7% | 162 10% | 86.8 -41% | 148.1 1% | 140.8 ? -4% |
| Read 4K | 65.5 | 48.81 -25% | 46.52 -29% | 66.4 1% | 47.72 -27% | 48.6 ? -26% |
| Write Seq | 2680 | 1050 -61% | 1638 -39% | 1851 -31% | 1225 -54% | 2106 ? -21% |
| Read Seq | 2556 | 2517 -2% | 1922 -25% | 1707 -33% | 1498 -41% | 2099 ? -18% |
| Write 4K Q32T1 | 413.4 | 408.7 -1% | 410.3 -1% | 542 31% | 421.1 2% | 451 ? 9% |
| Read 4K Q32T1 | 500 | 504 1% | 493.5 -1% | 589 18% | 360.9 -28% | 482 ? -4% |
| Write Seq Q32T1 | 2978 | 1087 -63% | 1085 -64% | 1960 -34% | 1407 -53% | 2903 ? -3% |
| Read Seq Q32T1 | 3567 | 3407 -4% | 3212 -10% | 2227 -38% | 2362 -34% | 3511 ? -2% |
| AS SSD | 5% | -7% | -22% | -26% | -3% | |
| Seq Read | 2829 | 2749 -3% | 2654 -6% | 2023 -28% | 1965 -31% | 2412 ? -15% |
| Seq Write | 2423 | 2348 -3% | 802 -67% | 1781 -26% | 836 -65% | 1983 ? -18% |
| 4K Read | 42.06 | 44.22 5% | 42.15 0% | 61.9 47% | 50.3 20% | 53.1 ? 26% |
| 4K Write | 126.1 | 140.5 11% | 118.2 -6% | 128.7 2% | 189.1 50% | 131.1 ? 4% |
| 4K-64 Read | 1481 | 1450 -2% | 1411 -5% | 904 -39% | 870 -41% | 1201 ? -19% |
| 4K-64 Write | 2009 | 2346 17% | 1344 -33% | 976 -51% | 871 -57% | 1726 ? -14% |
| Access Time Read * | 0.079 | 0.079 -0% | 0.075 5% | 0.126 -59% | 0.05525 ? 30% | |
| Access Time Write * | 0.029 | 0.027 7% | 0.035 -21% | 0.031 -7% | 0.02 31% | 0.05394 ? -86% |
| Score Read | 1806 | 1769 -2% | 1718 -5% | 1168 -35% | 1117 -38% | 1495 ? -17% |
| Score Write | 2377 | 2721 14% | 1542 -35% | 1283 -46% | 1144 -52% | 2055 ? -14% |
| Score Total | 5087 | 5376 6% | 4048 -20% | 3053 -40% | 2787 -45% | 4303 ? -15% |
| Copy ISO MB/s | 1358 | 1961 44% | 1894 ? 39% | |||
| Copy Program MB/s | 407.1 | 480.5 18% | 539 ? 32% | |||
| Copy Game MB/s | 918 | 1191 30% | 1193 ? 30% | |||
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | -7% /
-5% | -14% /
-12% | -19% /
-19% | -28% /
-27% | -6% /
-5% |
* ... smaller is better
Continuous load read: DiskSpd Read Loop, Queue Depth 8
Graphics card
Instead of dedicated graphics, Huawei relies on AMD's integrated Radeon RX Vega 6 in the MateBook D 16. The latter has a core clock speed of 1,500 MHz and dual-channel memory running at 3,200 MHz. As a result, the graphics memory is faster than in the Honor MagicBook Pro 4600H. However, this doesn't really lead to any noteworthy advantages in the benchmarks. With a frame rate of 99.7%, the operating speed of the iGPU also remains stable over prolonged periods of time as 3DMark's Time Spy stress test shows.
In the other graphics benchmarks, the review sample is on par with the MagicBook Pro equipped with the same CPU, but it scores significantly worse in some cases when competing against the other comparison devices. This is not surprising since they're equipped with more powerful graphics solutions like the GeForce MX350 or the Intel Iris Xe Graphics iGPU.
| 3DMark 11 Performance | 4828 points | |
| 3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score | 18241 points | |
| 3DMark Fire Strike Score | 2771 points | |
| 3DMark Time Spy Score | 1044 points | |
Help | ||
Gaming performance
It should be clear from the start that the MateBook D 16 is not a gaming laptop. This is also reflected in the results. The device still outperforms the average reached by other laptops with AMD Radeon RX Vega 6 graphics, but it can't quite keep up with the remaining comparison candidates most of the time. However, this is not surprising due to their more powerful graphics solutions. There are no major differences compared with Honor's AMD-equipped MagicBook Pro.
Older titles like The Witcher 3 and X-Plane 11 can usually be played without problems on medium settings, and Dota 2 Reborn can even be played on the highest settings. However, more demanding and newer titles or higher graphics settings quickly bring the MateBook D 16 to its knees.
| low | med. | high | ultra | |
| The Witcher 3 (2015) | 50.8 | 33.2 | 19.4 | 11.2 |
| Dota 2 Reborn (2015) | 104 | 84.3 | 48.9 | 45.3 |
| X-Plane 11.11 (2018) | 43.8 | 32.3 | 28.8 |
Emissions: The MateBook D 16 runs pleasantly quiet
Noise emissions
Under low load, the MateBook D 16 isn't audible at 25 dB(A). Even under high load, such as in our stress test, which we will discuss below, it remains pleasantly quiet at around 42 dB(A). The fans are never obtrusively loud; they also run at a constant speed that doesn't change drastically. Our review sample didn't experience any other types of noise either.
Noise Level
| Idle |
| 25.5 / 25.5 / 25.5 dB(A) |
| Load |
| 33 / 42.1 dB(A) |
 | ||
30 dB silent 40 dB(A) audible 50 dB(A) loud |
||
min:  , med:  , max:  Earthworks M23R, Arta (15 cm distance) environment noise: 25.5 dB(A) | ||
Temperature
The MateBook D 16 is not only quiet, but it also remains pleasantly cool. Under full load, it reaches a maximum of around 40 °C (~104 °F) below the display, which is only lukewarm. In idle usage, it's just above room temperature at around 26 °C (~79 °F).
The device delivers a constant performance in the stress test. After a short-term maximum of close to 4,000 MHz, the CPU's clock rate settles at 80 °C (~176 °F) and a clock rate of 2,800 MHz in the long run without showing fluctuations. The graphics solution operates at around 850 MHz at 63 °C (~145 °F). We didn't notice any irregularities such a throttling in the test. Furthermore, 3DMark 11 delivered the same results directly after the stress test.
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 42.6 °C / 109 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 41.7 °C / 107 F, compared to the average of 36.7 °C / 98 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 26.1 °C / 79 F, compared to the device average of 29.5 °C / 85 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are reaching skin temperature as a maximum (32 °C / 89.6 F) and are therefore not hot.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 27.7 °C / 81.9 F (-4.3 °C / -7.7 F).
Speakers
The two speakers of the MateBook D 16 deliver quite a good sound. They aren't particularly loud, and they lack bass - as is the case with most laptops. In return, mids and trebles are balanced and linear. Overall, the review sample performs better than a good 80% of the laptops that we have tested.
Huawei MateBook D 16-53011VFJ audio analysis
(-) | not very loud speakers (68.1 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 20.5% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (12% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.1% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (3.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 0.7% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (2.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (15.4% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 11% of all tested devices in this class were better, 4% similar, 85% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 22%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 18% of all tested devices were better, 4% similar, 78% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Honor MagicBook Pro (AMD) audio analysis
(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (74 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 14.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (13.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 5.6% higher than median
(+) | mids are linear (6.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.8% away from median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (8.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (21.2% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 69% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 23% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 18%, worst was 45%
Compared to all devices tested
» 54% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 39% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Energy management: Energy-efficient laptop
Energy consumption
As expected, the MateBook D 16 is on par with the MagicBook Pro 4600H in terms of energy consumption. Compared to the more powerful 10210U variant, it's significantly more energy-efficient. The MateBook D 16 also scores well in comparison with the multimedia average. The maximum consumption is 67 watts for a short time, so that the 65-watt power adapter still has just enough capacity.
| Off / Standby | 0.5 / 0.7 Watt |
| Idle | 5.2 / 8.2 / 9.4 Watt |
| Load |
40 / 67 Watt |
   
| |
| Huawei MateBook D 16-53011VFJ R5 4600H, Vega 6, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB512HBJQ, IPS, 1920x1080, 16.10 | Honor MagicBook Pro (AMD) R5 4600H, Vega 6, WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G, IPS, 1920x1080, 16.10 | Honor MagicBook Pro 10210U i5-10210U, GeForce MX350, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G, IPS, 1920x1080, 16.10 | Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-511A i5-1135G7, Iris Xe G7 80EUs, Micron 2210 MTFDHBA1T0QFD, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60 | Lenovo ThinkBook 15 Gen2 ITL i5-1135G7, Iris Xe G7 80EUs, Samsung PM991 MZALQ512HALU, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60 | Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 6 (Ryzen 4000/5000) | Average of class Office | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | 3% | -35% | 19% | -3% | 17% | 8% | |
| Idle Minimum * | 5.2 | 4.2 19% | 7 -35% | 3.3 37% | 5.1 2% | 3.98 ? 23% | 4.3 ? 17% |
| Idle Average * | 8.2 | 8.4 -2% | 10 -22% | 8.4 -2% | 9.1 -11% | 6.53 ? 20% | 7.35 ? 10% |
| Idle Maximum * | 9.4 | 9.7 -3% | 14 -49% | 8.9 5% | 11.7 -24% | 8.65 ? 8% | 9.15 ? 3% |
| Load Average * | 40 | 39.5 1% | 63 -58% | 30.1 25% | 33.3 17% | 35 ? 12% | 41.1 ? -3% |
| Witcher 3 ultra * | 40.5 | 39.1 3% | 59 -46% | 39.2 3% | |||
| Load Maximum * | 67 | 67.1 -0% | 65 3% | 45.4 32% | 69.3 -3% | 51.5 ? 23% | 58.1 ? 13% |
* ... smaller is better
Battery life
Although the consumption and the battery capacity of 56 watts are the same for both AMD models, the MagicBook Pro achieves better battery runtimes. Both 4600H devices can't even keep up with the 10210U version of the MagicBook Pro. In the end, our review sample is also clearly below the average of the multimedia class.
| Huawei MateBook D 16-53011VFJ R5 4600H, Vega 6, 56 Wh | Honor MagicBook Pro (AMD) R5 4600H, Vega 6, 56 Wh | Honor MagicBook Pro 10210U i5-10210U, GeForce MX350, 56 Wh | Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-511A i5-1135G7, Iris Xe G7 80EUs, 48.85 Wh | Lenovo ThinkBook 15 Gen2 ITL i5-1135G7, Iris Xe G7 80EUs, 45 Wh | Average of class Office | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Runtime | 16% | 51% | 28% | -29% | 76% | |
| Reader / Idle | 710 | 1483 109% | 1436 ? 102% | |||
| H.264 | 510 | 633 24% | 667 31% | 705 ? 38% | ||
| WiFi v1.3 | 538 | 619 15% | 608 13% | 416 -23% | 335 -38% | 594 ? 10% |
| Witcher 3 ultra | 59 | 152 ? 158% | ||||
| Load | 68 | 74 9% | 103 51% | 122 79% | 55 -19% | 117.7 ? 73% |
Pros
Cons
Verdict
The Huawei MateBook D 16 offers sufficient performance for everyday tasks in the test, and it can also run one or two less demanding games.
Surprisingly, the MateBook D 16 scores much worse than the MagicBook Pro with the AMD Ryzen 5 4600H, which is identical in many aspects.
On the other hand, the MateBook also offers some advantages such as a second USB-C port that is not occupied by the power adapter. In addition, its performance is partly above Honor's alternatives with AMD or Intel CPUs.
Overall, the Huawei MateBook D 16 is a good laptop in the price range of up to 1,000 Euros (~$1,213), and buyers won't be accepting many compromises with it. It barely shows any weaknesses in the test, but it scores points with several strengths.
Price and availability
At the time of writing, the Huawei MateBook D 16 has limited availability. As you can tell from the manufacturer's website, it's currently only officially available in a restricted number of countries. However, you can keep tabs on Amazon and wait for the device to pop up there.
Huawei MateBook D 16-53011VFJ
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04/26/2021 v7
Marcus Schwarten
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