Panasonic Toughbook CF Series

Processor: Intel Core i5 2520M, Intel Core i5 3427U, Intel Core i5 4300U, Intel Core i5 520M, Intel Core i5 5300U, Intel Core m5 6Y57, Intel Kaby Lake i5-7300U
Graphics Adapter: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) HD Graphics, Intel HD Graphics (Sandy Bridge), Intel HD Graphics 4000, Intel HD Graphics 4400, Intel HD Graphics 515, Intel HD Graphics 5500, Intel HD Graphics 620
Display: 10.10 inch, 11.60 inch, 12.00 inch, 12.10 inch, 12.50 inch, 14.00 inch
Weight: 1.1kg, 1.13kg, 1.18kg, 1.2kg, 1.7kg, 1.755kg, 1.9kg, 1.906kg, 2kg, 2.8kg
Price: 1400, 1500, 2000, 2100, 2250, 2384, 2500, 4200, 4500 euro
price: 50%, performance: 75%, features: 60%, display: 79%, mobility: 82%, workmanship: 89%, ergonomy: 77%, emissions: 92%

 

Panasonic Toughbook CF-C1

Specifications

Notebook: Panasonic Toughbook CF-C1
Processor: Intel Core i5 520M
Graphics Adapter: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) HD Graphics
Display: 12.10 inch, 16:10, 1280 x 800 pixels
Weight: 1.7kg
Price: 2250 euro
Links: Panasonic homepage
 Panasonic notebook section

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Average Score: 87% - good

 

Foreign Reviews

 

Panasonic Toughbook CF-C1, Sandy Bridge

Specifications

Notebook: Panasonic Toughbook CF-C1, Sandy Bridge
Processor: Intel Core i5 2520M
Graphics Adapter: Intel HD Graphics (Sandy Bridge)
Display: 12.10 inch, 16:10, 1280 x 800 pixels
Weight: 1.7kg
Price: 2500 euro
Links: Panasonic homepage
 Panasonic notebook section

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Average Score: 60% - poor

 

Reviews

 

Panasonic ToughBook CF-C2

Specifications

Notebook: Panasonic ToughBook CF-C2
Processor: Intel Core i5 3427U
Graphics Adapter: Intel HD Graphics 4000
Display: 12.50 inch, 16:9, 1366 x 768 pixels
Weight: 1.9kg
Links: Panasonic homepage
 Panasonic notebook section

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Reviews

Foreign Reviews

 

Panasonic Toughbook CF-AX2

Specifications

Notebook: Panasonic Toughbook CF-AX2
Processor: Intel Core i5 3427U
Graphics Adapter: Intel HD Graphics 4000
Display: 11.60 inch, 16:9, 1366 x 768 pixels
Weight: 1.13kg
Price: 2100 euro
Links: Panasonic homepage
 Panasonic notebook section

Pricecompare

Average Score: 80% - good

 

Reviews

Foreign Reviews

 

Panasonic Toughbook CF-AX3

The Panasonic Toughbook CF-AX3 is a business oriented device with its flip capability and tank-like build quality. It brings premium features in a lightweight design. The 1.135 kg laptop comes with a metallic grey finish and strong chassis lines making it almost look bulkier than it actually is. Contrasting the grey is a solid black cover with the Panasonic brand. There is a solid hinge system allowing for the 2-in-1 modes to work flawlessly. The Windows 8.1 Pro laptop comes with an Intel Core i5-4300U vPro processor clocked at 1.93 GHz, 4 GB DDR3L SDRAM, Intel HD Graphics 4400 and an 128 GB SSD for storage. The 11.6 inch TFT display features Full-HD resolution and produces clear images. Navigation is good on the laptop with its 10-point touchscreen, tactile keyboard and mouse. Other features include Bluetooth 4.0, optional mobile broadband support, two USB 3.0 ports, a VGA out, an HDMI out and a card reader. Audio quality is decent with WAVE and MIDI playback support using the Intel High Definition Audio subsystem. Battery life on the Panasonic Toughbook CF-AX3 is good with up to 12 hours operating time using Li-Ion technology.

Specifications

Notebook: Panasonic Toughbook CF-AX3
Processor: Intel Core i5 4300U
Graphics Adapter: Intel HD Graphics 4400
Display: 11.60 inch, 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixels
Weight: 1.2kg
Links: Panasonic homepage
 Panasonic notebook section

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Foreign Reviews

 

Panasonic Toughbook CF-MX4

Specifications

Notebook: Panasonic Toughbook CF-MX4
Processor: Intel Core i5 5300U
Graphics Adapter: Intel HD Graphics 5500
Display: 12.50 inch, 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixels
Weight: 1.1kg
Links: Panasonic homepage
 Panasonic notebook section

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Foreign Reviews

 

Panasonic Toughbook CF-54MK1

Specifications

Notebook: Panasonic Toughbook CF-54MK1
Processor: Intel Core i5 5300U
Graphics Adapter: Intel HD Graphics 5500
Display: 14.00 inch, 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixels
Weight: 2kg
Price: 2000 euro
Links: Panasonic homepage
 Panasonic notebook section
 Toughbook CF-54MK1 (Model)

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Average Score: 80% - good

 

Reviews

 

Panasonic Toughbook CF-20

The Panasonic Toughbook CF-20 is a 2-in-1 tablet/laptop hybrid device. The Panasonic's CF-20 is tough enough to prosper in challenging physical environments. There are plenty of mobile professionals (both white and blue collar) who require a robust yet portable computer, and the flexibility of a 2-in-1 hybrid makes sense for this market. As for design, it succeeds the similarly robust CF-19 which is another 10.1-inch computer, but the CF-19 is a convertible (swivelling screen) rather than a hybrid (detachable tablet) device. The CF-20 has the familiar Toughbook look-and-feel. It features a sturdy magnesium alloy chassis is clad in silver-effect plastic on the back of the tablet and the keyboard section's wrist-rest area, with tough black 'bumper car' edging to soften any blows, and house a generous array of ports, slots and connections. The 10.1-inch tablet measures 272 mm wide by 196 mm deep by 16.4 mm thick and weighs 950 g. To put that in perspective, Dell's 10.1-inch Venue Pro, a regular Windows 10 tablet, comes in at 263 x 176 x 9.85 mm and 662 g, so there's clearly a bulk and weight trade-off to make when user buy a rugged device. The keyboard section, which also includes a second battery, adds 37 mm to the system's depth, thanks to a curved section that accommodates a sturdy pull-out carrying handle (which can also be used to hang the computer on a workspace wall). It adds 810 g to the weight, making 1.76 kg overall. The screen is a 'sunlight-viewable' IPS unit delivering up to 800cd/m² brightness, with a resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels (224 ppi). It's a capacitive 10-point touchscreen, with a Dual Touch option available that includes an IP55-rated digitizer. Panasonic's PC Settings Utility allows User to select between using both the touch screen and the digitizer, just the touchscreen or just the digitizer. User can also select between regular touchscreen operation and modes suitable for gloved and wet fingers. The CF-20 is a fully rugged device, meeting MIL-STD810G for drop, shock, vibration, explosive atmosphere, temperature, rain and sand. Dust ingress and waterproofing are rated at IP65 level. This indicates that the CF-20 is 'dust tight' and can withstand 'water jets' projected by a 6.3 mm nozzle from any direction. Panasonic has also factory-tested the tablet's ability to survive a 1.2-metre drop onto a concrete surface. The Toughbook CF-20 is powered by a dual-core Intel Core m5-6Y57 processor running at 1.1 GHz (up to 2.8 GHz with Turbo Boost), supported by 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of internal SSD storage. However, neither RAM nor storage are upgradable. Talking of ports, the CF-20 is exceptionally well equipped in this department. The tablet has RJ-45, HDMI, USB 3.0, 3.5 mm audio-out and a MicroSD card slot on the left side, and power-in on the right which are all behind lockable covers. The stylus lives on the right side too, and there are Kensington lock slots on both sides. The Toughbook is probably one of the best industrial tablet out there but the m5 processor takes out its performance edge. Hands-on article by Jagadisa Rajarathnam

Specifications

Notebook: Panasonic Toughbook CF-20
Processor: Intel Core m5 6Y57
Graphics Adapter: Intel HD Graphics 515
Display: 10.10 inch, 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixels
Weight: 1.755kg
Price: 4200 euro
Links: Panasonic homepage
 Panasonic notebook section
 Toughbook CF-20 (Model)

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Average Score: 75% - good

 

Reviews

 

Panasonic Toughbook CF-33

The Panasonic Toughbook CF-33 is the first fully-rugged 2-in-1 of its kind and redefines rugged flexibility for those who work in demanding conditions. Panasonic's Toughbook line has always been beastly and expensive, and the CF-33 is no exception. Designed for use in the military, construction, government and emergency services, there's not much room for error, either, since one point of failure could result in the loss of lives. That's why the CF-33 features a hardened magnesium chassis, an IP65 rating for water resistance and a drop resistance up to 4 feet while in operation. It is a rugged tablet, and that is clear from the first glance. There is no thinness here, as a thin tablet is one without room to secure and cushion the internal components. The frame around the bezel is made of thick rubber and very grippy; despite the tablet's 3.37 lbs. in weight, it is surprisingly easy to hold. The CF-33 also features a 12-inch 2160 x 1440 detachable screen with a 3:2 aspect ratio, allowing it to go from laptop to tablet to a presentation device in seconds, just don't forget to undo the heavy-duty latches connecting its tablet body to its keyboard dock. The display also features touch-sensitive technology, so users can operate the CF-33 while wearing gloves, and with a rated brightness of 1200 nits, there's no doubt about it having solid outdoor visibility. The screen can easily be taken off, flipped around and reattached, and then whisked away using the CF-33's built-in handle, which is the most impressive aspect of the CF-33.

Under the hood, users get a 7th-gen Intel Core i5 CPU with vPRO, up to 16GB of RAM and a 500GB SSD. And since all the main components are in the CF-33's tablet body, users can optionally order it without the keyboard dock. There is even a hot-swappable battery system, so users can pop in a fresh power pack without needing to turn off the computer. Panasonic will sell both standard batteries with 10 hours of battery life and more powerful, "long-life" batteries for up to 20 hours of battery life. The keyboard base brings three USB ports, a serial port, and duplicates of Ethernet, VGA, and HDMI ports. The ports hidden behind big, chunky gaskets can also be configured to suit user’s needs, as can its plethora of security options, which include NFC and various smartcard readers. The Panasonic Toughbook CF-33 is equipped with a 2MP webcam with stereo microphones and an 8MP documentation rear camera, so users can easily capture and share images with other workers in the field. As for the operating system, it is running Windows 10 or Windows 7 if users choose the corporate downgrade option in order for it to work with ancient corporate apps.

Hands-on article by Jagadisa Rajarathnam

Specifications

Notebook: Panasonic Toughbook CF-33
Processor: Intel Kaby Lake i5-7300U
Graphics Adapter: Intel HD Graphics 620
Display: 12.00 inch, 3:2, 2160 x 1440 pixels
Weight: 2.8kg
Price: 4500 euro
Links: Panasonic homepage
 Panasonic notebook section

Pricecompare

Average Score: 80.83% - good

 

Reviews

Foreign Reviews

 

Panasonic Toughbook CF-XZ6

While many laptop manufacturers focus on a huge range of laptop series and models for different kinds of usage and price range, Panasonic is best known for only one kind of laptop. Its Toughbook series is still the most preferred rugged laptop in many heavy industries including manufacturing and oil and gas industry. The CF-XZ6 is its latest addition to its line of ultra-rugged laptops. This one though is a hybrid laptop and is slimmer and lighter than its predecessors too. In fact, Panasonic says it’s one of the lightest business rugged, 2-in-1 detachable notebooks with a 12 inch display. On the surface, the CF-XZ6 looks like a much more tame Toughbook, more like a laptop you use in a construction office rather than one that you can use in a construction site. This then is more of a semi rugged Toughbook just like the Toughpad FZ. The detachable form factor brings in the same idea as the Microsoft Surface. The keyboard adds an extra 5200 mAh battery and the usual USB, VGA, HDMI, and Ethernet ports. It even includes a SD card slot on the side. The tablet houses a single USB type-C port and a headset jack. If configured with, the SIM tray sits in the tablet unit. There is a front facing, 2 megapixels camera and a rear facing 8 megapixels camera. The keyboard and tablet weighs in at 1180 grams and has a dimension of 288.5 x 223.7 x 22 mm. This dimensions are quite small for a Toughbook. It ruggedness comes from its magnesium frame which can handle drops well. Panasonic has stated that this laptop has passed a 76 cm free-fall test and 100-kgf pressurized vibration test. On the inside is an Intel i5-7300U vPro processor coupled with 8 GB of RAM and a 256 GB SSD. It performs as good as any other windows laptop with this kind of specs but there are reports of overheating. It is probably due to cramping up all that hardware, ports and battery in a rugged case while trying to maintain a slimmer form factor. The display on the CF-XZ6 is a 12-inch QHD (2160 x 1440) touch screen display. It is bright enough to be used outdoors. The main problem with the keyboard unit is the small circular trackpad. The trackpad Is just 42 mm in diameter making it hard to navigate towards the corners of the screen. It is also less responsive and users will probably opt to use the touchscreen or even a mouse. The keyboard on the other hand, has a good click feel to it. However, this coupled with the variety of available ports leaves the detachable keyboard section look thick and ugly. The tablets by itself looks sleek despite being thicker than the average tablet out there. When coupled with the keyboard unit, it just does not look very 2018. The Panasonic Toughbook CF-XZ26 is a rugged laptop but is also smaller and lighter than the other rugged models but it does not look good enough to pass of as a regular laptop. Hence, there really is not a point to pay a lot for it. People who need the ultra-rugged laptops can go for the bigger Toughbooks and those who need a sleeker laptop can choose from the many available options out there. They can even add a rugged casing for protection. Hands-on article by Jagadisa Rajarathnam

Specifications

Notebook: Panasonic Toughbook CF-XZ6
Processor: Intel Kaby Lake i5-7300U
Graphics Adapter: Intel HD Graphics 620
Display: 12.00 inch, 3:2, 2160 x 1440 pixels
Weight: 1.2kg
Price: 2100 euro
Links: Panasonic homepage
 Panasonic notebook section

Pricecompare

Average Score: 76.33% - good

 

Reviews

Foreign Reviews

 

Panasonic Toughbook CF-54 Mid

Specifications

Notebook: Panasonic Toughbook CF-54 Mid
Processor: Intel Kaby Lake i5-7300U
Graphics Adapter: Intel HD Graphics 620
Display: 14.00 inch, 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixels
Weight: 1.9kg
Price: 1500 euro
Links: Panasonic homepage
 Panasonic notebook section

Pricecompare

 

Reviews

 

Panasonic Toughbook CF-XZ6

While many laptop manufacturers focus on a huge range of laptop series and models for different kinds of usage and price range, Panasonic is best known for only one kind of laptop. Its Toughbook series is still the most preferred rugged laptop in many heavy industries including manufacturing and oil and gas industry. The CF-XZ6 is its latest addition to its line of ultra-rugged laptops. This one though is a hybrid laptop and is slimmer and lighter than its predecessors too. In fact, Panasonic says it’s one of the lightest business rugged, 2-in-1 detachable notebooks with a 12 inch display. On the surface, the CF-XZ6 looks like a much more tame Toughbook, more like a laptop you use in a construction office rather than one that you can use in a construction site. This then is more of a semi rugged Toughbook just like the Toughpad FZ. The detachable form factor brings in the same idea as the Microsoft Surface. The keyboard adds an extra 5200 mAh battery and the usual USB, VGA, HDMI, and Ethernet ports. It even includes a SD card slot on the side. The tablet houses a single USB type-C port and a headset jack. If configured with, the SIM tray sits in the tablet unit. There is a front facing, 2 megapixels camera and a rear facing 8 megapixels camera. The keyboard and tablet weighs in at 1180 grams and has a dimension of 288.5 x 223.7 x 22 mm. This dimensions are quite small for a Toughbook. It ruggedness comes from its magnesium frame which can handle drops well. Panasonic has stated that this laptop has passed a 76 cm free-fall test and 100-kgf pressurized vibration test. On the inside is an Intel i5-7300U vPro processor coupled with 8 GB of RAM and a 256 GB SSD. It performs as good as any other windows laptop with this kind of specs but there are reports of overheating. It is probably due to cramping up all that hardware, ports and battery in a rugged case while trying to maintain a slimmer form factor. The display on the CF-XZ6 is a 12-inch QHD (2160 x 1440) touch screen display. It is bright enough to be used outdoors. The main problem with the keyboard unit is the small circular trackpad. The trackpad Is just 42 mm in diameter making it hard to navigate towards the corners of the screen. It is also less responsive and users will probably opt to use the touchscreen or even a mouse. The keyboard on the other hand, has a good click feel to it. However, this coupled with the variety of available ports leaves the detachable keyboard section look thick and ugly. The tablets by itself looks sleek despite being thicker than the average tablet out there. When coupled with the keyboard unit, it just does not look very 2018. The Panasonic Toughbook CF-XZ26 is a rugged laptop but is also smaller and lighter than the other rugged models but it does not look good enough to pass of as a regular laptop. Hence, there really is not a point to pay a lot for it. People who need the ultra-rugged laptops can go for the bigger Toughbooks and those who need a sleeker laptop can choose from the many available options out there. They can even add a rugged casing for protection. Hands-on article by Jagadisa Rajarathnam

Specifications

Notebook: Panasonic Toughbook CF-XZ6
Processor: Intel Kaby Lake i5-7300U
Graphics Adapter: Intel HD Graphics 620
Display: 12.00 inch, 3:2, 2160 x 1440 pixels
Weight: 1.18kg
Price: 2384 euro
Links: Panasonic homepage
 Panasonic notebook section

Pricecompare

 

Reviews

 

Panasonic Toughbook CF-54G2999VM

Specifications

Notebook: Panasonic Toughbook CF-54G2999VM
Processor: Intel Kaby Lake i5-7300U
Graphics Adapter: Intel HD Graphics 620
Display: 14.00 inch, 16:9, 1366 x 768 pixels
Weight: 1.906kg
Price: 1400 euro
Links: Panasonic homepage
 Panasonic notebook section

Pricecompare

 

Reviews

 

Comment

Panasonic: Panasonic Corporation was founded in 1918 in Japan, making it one of the oldest electronics companies (although it started with light bulb sales). The company operates in several business areas, including electronics, home appliances, automotive technology, aerospace, energy, and environmental technology. Panasonic sells televisions, cameras, audio and video equipment, home appliances such as refrigerators and washing machines, batteries, solar panels and LED lighting worldwide. Panasonic is also a major supplier of components and systems to the automotive industry and has invested in artificial intelligence and robotics in recent years.

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Only some 3D games with very low demands are playable with these cards.

Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) HD Graphics: Onboard graphics card that is built in the new Arrandale CPUs (Core i3 / i5 / i7 Dual Cores). Depending on the model and Turbo Boost, the GMA HD is clocked between 166 and 766 MHz.

Intel HD Graphics (Sandy Bridge): Processor graphics card which is integrated in the Sandy Bridge Pentium and Celeron processors. Similar to the desktop HD Graphics 2000 and not related to the old Arrandale processor graphics with the same name.

Non demanding games should be playable with these graphics cards.

Intel HD Graphics 4000: Processor graphics card in the high end Ivy Bridge models. Offers a different clock speed in the different CPU models (ULV to desktop quad core) and therefore a different performance.

Intel HD Graphics 4400:

ULV integrated GPU (GT2) with 20 EUs found on certain Haswell CPU models.

Intel HD Graphics 5500: Integrated graphics card (GT2) in the Core processors of the Broadwell U-series (15 W TDP). 

Intel HD Graphics 515: Integrated GPU (GT2) with 24 EUs found on Core-m-CPUs of the Skylake generation (4,5 W TDP).

Modern games should be playable with these graphics cards at low settings and resolutions. Casual gamers may be happy with these cards.

Intel HD Graphics 620: Integrated GPU (GT2) found on some Kaby-Lake CPU models (15 W ULV series).

» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Graphics Cards and the corresponding Benchmark List.

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Intel Core i5:

520M:

2520M: Dual-core Sandy Bridge processor with integrated graphics and dual-channel DDR3 memory controller.

3427U: Fast Ivy-Bridge-based ULV-CPU in Q2 2012. Offers a core clock of 1.8 - 2.8 GHz and an HD 4000 GPU (350 - 1150 MHz). The TDP is rated at 17 W.

4300U:

Haswell-based ULV dual-core processor clocked at 1.9 GHz with Turbo Boost support up to 2.9 GHz. Offers an integrated HD Graphics 4400 and a dual-channel DDR3 memory controller.

5300U: Broadwell-based ULV (ultra low voltage) dual-core processor for notebooks and ultrabooks. Offers an integrated HD Graphics 5500 GPU and is manufactured in 14 nm.

Intel Core m5:

6Y57: Skylake-based ULV dual-core processor for tablets and 2-in-1 notebooks. Offers an integrated HD Graphics 515 GPU and is manufactured in 14 nm.

Intel Kaby Lake:

i5-7300U: Kaby-Lake based SoC with two CPU cores clocked at 2.5 to 3.1 GHz, HyperThreading and manufactured with an improved 14nm process. Compared to the older Core i7-7500U, the i5 offers only 3 MB L3 cache but the same Turbo clock speed.

» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Processsors.

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12.00:

This range of display format is largely the upper limit for tablets and the lower limit for subnotebooks.

The advantage of subnotebooks is that the entire laptop can be small in size and therefore easily portable. The tiny display has the added advantage of requiring little power, which further improves battery life and thus mobility. The disadvantage is that reading texts is exhausting for the eyes. High resolutions, which one is used to from a standard laptop, are almost not usable.

The same applies to tablets in this size range.

14.00:

14 inch display size represents a middle ground between the small subnotebook formats and the screens of the standard 15 inch laptops.

The reason for the popularity of mid-sized displays is that this size is reasonably easy on the eyes, provides good resolutions with usable detail sizes, yet does not consume too much power and the devices can still be reasonably compact. 

In the past, 14-inch devices were very rare, but now they are the standard for laptops after the 15-inchers. 

» To find out how fine a display is, see our DPI List.

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1.1 kg:

2.8 kg:

With this weight, a laptop is rather heavier than average. Devices in this range shine more with screen size and performance than with mobility.

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79.55%: This rating is not earth-shattering. This rating must actually be seen as average, since there are about as many devices with worse ratings as better ones. A purchase recommendation can only be seen with a lot of goodwill, unless it is about websites that generally rate strictly.

» Further information can be found in our Notebook Purchase Guide.

Devices from a different Manufacturer and/or with a different CPU

Devices with the same GPU and/or Screen Size

Devices with the same GPU