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Panasonic Toughbook FZ-55 MK1 Laptop Review

A tough cookie. The latest 14-inch Toughbook addresses many of the shortcomings of last year's model while retaining compatibility with all last generation accessories.

The Panasonic Toughbook 55 MK1 directly succeeds the last generation Toughbook 54 MK3 that we reviewed last year. It introduces a host of changes including new IP ratings and upgraded hardware while keeping the familiar chassis design mostly intact.

The list of gen-to-gen changes and supported features is enormous as detailed by Panasonic themselves through the official comparison tables below. For this review, we'll be checking out the core characteristics of the Toughbook 55 including its display, performance, and battery life. The system competes directly with other rugged laptops designed for industrial or outdoor environments including the Dell Latitude 7424 Rugged and Getac S410.

See the official Panasonic Toughbook 55 product page here for more information on pricing and features.

More Panasonic reviews:

Toughbook 54 vs. Toughbook 55
Toughbook 54 vs. Toughbook 55
Toughbook 55 specifications and features
Toughbook 55 specifications and features
Panasonic Toughbook FZ-55
Processor
Intel Core i5-8365U 4 x 1.6 - 4.1 GHz, Whiskey Lake-U
Graphics adapter
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Core: 300 MHz, Memory: 1200 MHz, DDR4, 25.20.100.6793
Memory
8 GB 
, DDR4, 10-10-10-28, Single-Channel
Display
14.00 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 157 PPI, 10-point capacitive, InfoVision M140NWF5 R3, IPS, IVO057D, glossy: no
Mainboard
Intel Cannon Lake-U PCH-LP Premium
Storage
Samsung SSD PM871b MZNLN256HAJQ, 256 GB 
Soundcard
Intel Cannon Lake-LP - cAVS
Connections
3 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 HDMI, 1 Docking Station Port, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm combo, Card Reader: MicroSD reader, Brightness Sensor
Networking
Intel Ethernet Connection I219-V (10/100/1000MBit/s), Intel Wireless-AC 9560 (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 5, LTE, GPS
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 33 x 346 x 272 ( = 1.3 x 13.62 x 10.71 in)
Battery
71 Wh Lithium-Ion, removeable
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Pro 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: 1080p
Additional features
Speakers: Stereo, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, 36 Months Warranty, ruggedized, waterproof
Weight
2.23 kg ( = 78.66 oz / 4.92 pounds), Power Supply: 504 g ( = 17.78 oz / 1.11 pounds)
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

Visually, the magnesium alloy chassis has not changed very much from the Tooughbook 54 as even their dimensions are nearly identical between them. Surfaces and hinges remain rigid and stronger than what you would find on any consumer laptop.

Very similar to the Toughbook 54 from a visual standpoint
Very similar to the Toughbook 54 from a visual standpoint
Hinges are firm with no teetering up to the maximum of 180 degrees
Hinges are firm with no teetering up to the maximum of 180 degrees
Integrated spring-loaded stylus holder
Integrated spring-loaded stylus holder
IP53 and MIL-STD-810H certification
IP53 and MIL-STD-810H certification
Hot swappable SATA slot for DVD, Blu-Ray, or even tertiary storage (in theory)
Hot swappable SATA slot for DVD, Blu-Ray, or even tertiary storage (in theory)
Optional secondary battery slides in and out to effectively double the battery life of the system
Optional secondary battery slides in and out to effectively double the battery life of the system
352.5 mm / 13.9 inch 255 mm / 10 inch 59.3 mm / 2.33 inch 3.5 kg7.61 lbs350 mm / 13.8 inch 293 mm / 11.5 inch 34.9 mm / 1.374 inch 3.2 kg7.05 lbs347 mm / 13.7 inch 244.5 mm / 9.63 inch 32.9 mm / 1.295 inch 2.8 kg6.24 lbs346 mm / 13.6 inch 272 mm / 10.7 inch 33 mm / 1.299 inch 2.2 kg4.92 lbs345.5 mm / 13.6 inch 271.8 mm / 10.7 inch 30.5 mm / 1.201 inch 1.9 kg4.2 lbs323.5 mm / 12.7 inch 217.1 mm / 8.55 inch 14.9 mm / 0.587 inch 1.1 kg2.45 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Ports


Front: Carrying handle
Front: Carrying handle
Right: Stylus recess, 3.5 mm combo audio, USB 3.1 Gen. 1 Type-A, USB 3.1 Type-C, Gigabit RJ-45, AC adapter
Right: Stylus recess, 3.5 mm combo audio, USB 3.1 Gen. 1 Type-A, USB 3.1 Type-C, Gigabit RJ-45, AC adapter
Rear: USB 3.1 Gen. 1 Type-A, HDMI, Nano-SIM
Rear: USB 3.1 Gen. 1 Type-A, HDMI, Nano-SIM
Left: SATA bay
Left: SATA bay

SD Card Reader

Unlike the older Toughbook 54 and its full-size SD reader, the Toughbook 55 uses a smaller and slower spring-loaded MicroSD reader instead. Panasonic says the slightly different dimensions of the new design were partly responsible for the omission of a full-size SD reader. Transfer rates are still good at about 80 MB/s with a UHS-II card.

SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
Dell Latitude 5420 Rugged-P85G
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
182.9 MB/s +148%
Dell Latitude 7424 Rugged Extreme
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
171.8 MB/s +133%
Panasonic Toughbook CF-54G2999VM
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
149.7 MB/s +103%
Getac S410
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
81.1 MB/s +10%
Panasonic Toughbook FZ-55
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 64 GB UHS-II)
73.8 MB/s
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
Dell Latitude 5420 Rugged-P85G
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
228.8 MB/s +169%
Dell Latitude 7424 Rugged Extreme
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
228.3 MB/s +168%
Panasonic Toughbook CF-54G2999VM
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
179.6 MB/s +111%
Getac S410
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
85.5 MB/s 0%
Panasonic Toughbook FZ-55
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 64 GB UHS-II)
85.2 MB/s

Communication

The Intel 9560 module is an upgrade from the Intel 8265 on last year's model by providing both Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 5 connectivity. Strangely, our unit could only connect to an 802.11n network as it is unable to establish a connection to our 802.11ac network. We've never experienced anything similar on other laptops with the same Intel 9560 module.

Maintenance

Servicing the SATA bay, M.2 slot, and batteries is easy as only a few latches need to be loosened. Accessing the RAM slots, however, will require a Philips screwdriver. Each SODIMM slots supports 32 GB modules for up to 64 GB maximum.

Same proprietary pins as on the Toughbook 54 for compatibility between accessories
Same proprietary pins as on the Toughbook 54 for compatibility between accessories

Accessories and Warranty

The system is compatible with all accessories designed for the Toughbook 54. A limited 3-year manufacturer warranty comes standard.

Input Devices

Keyboard

New to the Toughbook 55 is the removable keyboard that can be replaced if needed similar in vein to many ThinkPad laptops. The feel of the keys is otherwise quite similar to the Toughbook 54 including the relatively soft feedback in relation to most consumer and business laptops. It's too bad that the Arrow keys remain small and cramped.

An interesting note is that once the keyboard is removed, the keyboard must be discarded and replaced with a new one according to Panasonic.

Touchpad

The touchpad (8.5 x 4.5 cm) is slightly larger than the one on last year's Toughbook 54 (8 x 4 cm). Its surface is smooth when moving at medium to fast speeds with only minimal sticking when moving at slow speeds. Unlike on most Ultrabooks, the touchpad is very firm and not susceptible to any depressions or warping.

The dedicated mouse keys are shallow in travel and relatively weak in feedback despite the loud click.

Keyboard layout is almost the same as on the Toughbook 54 but the deck is now replaceable if needed
Keyboard layout is almost the same as on the Toughbook 54 but the deck is now replaceable if needed
Though still small, the touchpad is almost 25 percent larger than on the Toughbook 54
Though still small, the touchpad is almost 25 percent larger than on the Toughbook 54
Key feedback is softer than your traditional Ultrabook. Four levels of backlight come standard
Key feedback is softer than your traditional Ultrabook. Four levels of backlight come standard
The Arrow keys are unnecessarily small, cramped, and spongy
The Arrow keys are unnecessarily small, cramped, and spongy

Display

The Toughbook 55 uses an uncommon InfoVision M140NWF5 R3 IPS touchscreen panel. Very few laptops ship with InfoVision panels with one notable example being the Lenovo Yoga 530-14IKB and its InfoVision M140NWF5 R2 panel.

The most notable feature of the display is its super-bright backlight. Panasonic advertises a brightness of 1000 nits and we're able to confirm this with our own independent measurements. Drawbacks, however, include the slow black-white response times and limited color space that fortunately shouldn't impact the target industrial audience.

Perhaps the more notable drawbacks are the moderate-heavy uneven backlight bleeding, pulse-width modulation, and relatively grainy display as shown by our images and data below. The PWM of 694 Hz in particular is present on all brightness levels up to 99 percent which could potentially irritate users sensitive to onscreen flickering. Meanwhile, the grainy display is likely the consequence of having a thicker matte overlay for improved damage resistance.

Less expensive 768p resolution options are available. All SKUs are matte
Less expensive 768p resolution options are available. All SKUs are matte
Thicker bezels compared to most laptops as expected from a rugged design
Thicker bezels compared to most laptops as expected from a rugged design
Moderate-heavy uneven backlight bleeding
Moderate-heavy uneven backlight bleeding
Thick matte overlay causes the pixels to appear grainy
Thick matte overlay causes the pixels to appear grainy
1090.9
cd/m²
1091.4
cd/m²
1157.9
cd/m²
986.5
cd/m²
1037
cd/m²
1012.6
cd/m²
875.5
cd/m²
938.4
cd/m²
945
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
InfoVision M140NWF5 R3 tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 1157.9 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 1015 cd/m² Minimum: 0.72 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 76 %
Center on Battery: 1037 cd/m²
Contrast: 1728:1 (Black: 0.6 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 5.71 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5, calibrated: 4.52
ΔE Greyscale 5.5 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
57% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
36.4% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
39.38% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
57% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
38.09% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.04
Panasonic Toughbook FZ-55
InfoVision M140NWF5 R3, IPS, 14.00, 1920x1080
Panasonic Toughbook CF-54G2999VM
B140XTN, AUO2E3C, TN LED, 14.00, 1366x768
Getac S410
CMN N140BGE-E33, TN PED, 14.00, 1366x768
Dell Latitude 5420 Rugged-P85G
AU Optronics AUO523D, IPS, 14.00, 1920x1080
Dell Latitude 7424 Rugged Extreme
AU Optronics AUO523D, IPS, 14.00, 1920x1080
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2019-20QE000VGE
LP140QH2-SPD1, IPS, 14.00, 2560x1440
Display
-2%
6%
63%
71%
83%
Display P3 Coverage
38.09
37.36
-2%
40.46
6%
62.5
64%
65.3
71%
72.5
90%
sRGB Coverage
57
56.1
-2%
60.9
7%
92.4
62%
96.9
70%
97.8
72%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
39.38
38.62
-2%
41.8
6%
64.2
63%
67.3
71%
73.8
87%
Response Times
20%
27%
-23%
-25%
20%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
42 ?(20.8, 21.2)
43.2 ?(16.8, 26.4)
-3%
41.2 ?(21.6, 19.6)
2%
68 ?(34, 34)
-62%
62.8 ?(35.6, 27.2)
-50%
33.6 ?(16.4, 17.2)
20%
Response Time Black / White *
29.6 ?(13.2, 16.4)
17.2 ?(11.2, 6)
42%
14 ?(9.6, 4.4)
53%
33.6 ?(18.8, 14.8)
-14%
40 ?(24.4, 15.6)
-35%
24 ?(12.4, 11.6)
19%
PWM Frequency
694 ?(99)
877 ?(99)
26%
735 ?(100)
6%
763
10%
Screen
-49%
-45%
20%
20%
15%
Brightness middle
1037
174.5
-83%
265.1
-74%
1111.7
7%
844
-19%
338
-67%
Brightness
1015
164
-84%
246
-76%
1026
1%
793
-22%
315
-69%
Brightness Distribution
76
71
-7%
81
7%
80
5%
88
16%
88
16%
Black Level *
0.6
0.6
-0%
0.58
3%
0.81
-35%
0.54
10%
0.43
28%
Contrast
1728
291
-83%
457
-74%
1372
-21%
1563
-10%
786
-55%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
5.71
12.05
-111%
14.24
-149%
3.83
33%
4.8
16%
4
30%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
26.27
27.5
-5%
26.66
-1%
7.85
70%
11.88
55%
7.9
70%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
4.52
4.34
4%
3.94
13%
2.98
34%
1.15
75%
1.7
62%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
5.5
14.8
-169%
14.2
-158%
5.6
-2%
7.6
-38%
6.2
-13%
Gamma
2.04 108%
1.4 157%
2.03 108%
2.306 95%
2.334 94%
2.13 103%
CCT
5783 112%
14529 45%
17152 38%
7676 85%
6546 99%
6787 96%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
36.4
35.7
-2%
38.7
6%
59
62%
62
70%
68.1
87%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
57
56.2
-1%
61
7%
93
63%
97
70%
97.8
72%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-10% / -32%
-4% / -23%
20% / 20%
22% / 21%
39% / 28%

* ... smaller is better

Color space is narrow at just 57 percent of sRGB. This is definitely not the laptop to use for any sort of graphics work or video editing.

vs. sRGB
vs. sRGB
vs. AdobeRGB
vs. AdobeRGB

Further measurements with an X-Rite colorimeter reveal generally inaccurate colors and an overly warm grayscale out of the box. Calibration addresses some of the shortcomings and improves grayscale significantly from an average DeltaE value of 5.5 to 2. Colors still become increasingly inaccurate at higher saturation levels due to the narrow gamut of the panel.

Grayscale before calibration
Grayscale before calibration
Saturation Sweeps before calibration
Saturation Sweeps before calibration
ColorChecker after calibration
ColorChecker after calibration
Grayscale after calibration
Grayscale after calibration
Saturation Sweeps after calibration
Saturation Sweeps after calibration
ColorChecker before calibration
ColorChecker before calibration

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
29.6 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 13.2 ms rise
↘ 16.4 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 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 76 % 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
42 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 20.8 ms rise
↘ 21.2 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. » 63 % 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 694 Hz ≤ 99 % brightness setting

The display backlight flickers at 694 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 99 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting.

The frequency of 694 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 18110 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

The 1000-nit backlight, matte overlay, 180-degree hinges, and wide IPS viewing angles contribute to the excellent outdoor visibility of the screen. Nonetheless, direct sunlight will still overwhelm the display and so we recommend working under shade if possible. Apparent contrast and colors degrade only if viewing from extreme angles.

Outdoors under sunlight
Outdoors under sunlight
Outdoors under shade
Outdoors under shade
Outdoors under sunlight
Outdoors under sunlight
Wide IPS viewing angles
Wide IPS viewing angles

Performance

LatencyMon
LatencyMon

The Intel U-class CPU targets low-power applications while the optional AMD Radeon Pro WX 4150 GPU should provide enough power to run more graphics-intensive applications involving video playback, recording, or very light CAD software. Running LatencyMon shows DPC latency issues even when the wireless is disabled which is unfortunate for a laptop targeting professionals.

 

Processor

CineBench R15
CineBench R15

The Core i5-8365U is performing where we expect it to be in relation to other laptops equipped with the same processor. Raw performance drops by only 7 percent when stressed for long periods as exemplified by our CineBench R15 Multi-Thread loop test below. Upgrading to the Core i7-8665U will bring up to 20 percent more CPU performance.

See our dedicated page on the Core i5-8365U for more technical information and benchmark comparisons.

03570105140175210245280315350385420455490525560595630665Tooltip
Panasonic Toughbook FZ-55 UHD Graphics 620, i5-8365U, Samsung SSD PM871b MZNLN256HAJQ; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø572 (568.13-611.85)
Asus VivoBook 14 X403FA UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø538 (531.69-621.96)
Razer Blade Stealth i7-8565U GeForce MX150, i7-8565U, Lite-On CA3-8D256-Q11; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø627 (623.29-676.66)
Dell Latitude 14 5495 Vega 10, R7 2700U, Intel SSDSCKKF256G8; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø620 (605-670)
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Dell Latitude 5500
Intel Core i7-8665U
199 Points +18%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga 2019-20QGS00A00
Intel Core i7-8565U
175 Points +4%
Asus VivoBook S15 S530UN-BQ097T
Intel Core i7-8550U
172 Points +2%
Lenovo Legion Y540-17IRH
Intel Core i5-9300H
171 Points +2%
Panasonic Toughbook FZ-55
Intel Core i5-8365U
168 Points
Average Intel Core i5-8365U
  (163 - 171, n=4)
166.5 Points -1%
Lenovo ThinkPad L490 20Q6S08600
Intel Core i5-8265U
164 Points -2%
Dell Latitude 14 5495
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
148 Points -12%
Lenovo ThinkPad 13 20J1005TPB
Intel Core i7-7500U
146 Points -13%
Dell Latitude 13 3390
Intel Core i5-8250U
143 Points -15%
HP ProBook 445 G6
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
135 Points -20%
Panasonic Toughbook CF-54G2999VM
Intel Core i5-7300U
125 Points -26%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Lenovo Legion Y540-17IRH
Intel Core i5-9300H
850 Points +47%
Asus VivoBook S15 S530UN-BQ097T
Intel Core i7-8550U
729 Points +26%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga 2019-20QGS00A00
Intel Core i7-8565U
709 (525.84min - 708.92max) Points +23%
Dell Latitude 5500
Intel Core i7-8665U
688 (599.53min - 729.94max) Points +19%
Dell Latitude 14 5495
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
670 Points +16%
HP ProBook 445 G6
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
612 Points +6%
Average Intel Core i5-8365U
  (558 - 620, n=4)
584 Points +1%
Panasonic Toughbook FZ-55
Intel Core i5-8365U
578 Points
Dell Latitude 13 3390
Intel Core i5-8250U
564 Points -2%
Lenovo ThinkPad L490 20Q6S08600
Intel Core i5-8265U
519 Points -10%
Panasonic Toughbook CF-54G2999VM
Intel Core i5-7300U
352 Points -39%
Lenovo ThinkPad 13 20J1005TPB
Intel Core i7-7500U
338 Points -42%
Cinebench R11.5
CPU Single 64Bit
Average Intel Core i5-8365U
 
1.91 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad L490 20Q6S08600
Intel Core i5-8265U
1.75 Points
Dell Latitude 13 3390
Intel Core i5-8250U
1.63 Points
CPU Multi 64Bit
Average Intel Core i5-8365U
 
5.74 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad L490 20Q6S08600
Intel Core i5-8265U
5.73 Points
Dell Latitude 13 3390
Intel Core i5-8250U
5.56 Points
Cinebench R10
Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
Lenovo Legion Y540-17IRH
Intel Core i5-9300H
25656 Points
Average Intel Core i5-8365U
 
16518 Points
HP ProBook 445 G6
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
16060 Points
Rendering Single 32Bit
Average Intel Core i5-8365U
 
6557 Points
Lenovo Legion Y540-17IRH
Intel Core i5-9300H
6421 Points
HP ProBook 445 G6
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
4403 Points
wPrime 2.10 - 1024m
Lenovo ThinkPad 13 20J1005TPB
Intel Core i7-7500U
490.2 s *
Average Intel Core i5-8365U
 
297 s *

* ... smaller is better

Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
168 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
578 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
44.81 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
97.8 %
Help

System Performance

PCMark 8 Home Accelerated
PCMark 8 Home Accelerated
PCMark 8 Work Accelerated
PCMark 8 Work Accelerated
PCMark 10 Standard
PCMark 10 Standard
PCMark 10
Score
Dell Latitude 7424 Rugged Extreme
Radeon RX 540, i7-8650U, SK Hynix PC401 512GB M.2 (HFS512GD9TNG)
4497 Points +20%
Dell Latitude 5420 Rugged-P85G
Radeon RX 540, i7-8650U, SK hynix PC401 NVMe 500 GB
4451 Points +19%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2019-20QE000VGE
UHD Graphics 620, i7-8665U, WDC PC SN720 SDAQNTW-512G
4005 Points +7%
Getac S410
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, CUKUSA 1 TB SATA SSD Q0526A
3958 Points +6%
Average Intel Core i5-8365U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (3751 - 4086, n=4)
3871 Points +3%
Panasonic Toughbook FZ-55
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8365U, Samsung SSD PM871b MZNLN256HAJQ
3751 Points
Panasonic Toughbook CF-54G2999VM
HD Graphics 620, i5-7300U, Seagate BarraCuda Compute 1TB ST1000LM048
2972 Points -21%
Essentials
Dell Latitude 7424 Rugged Extreme
Radeon RX 540, i7-8650U, SK Hynix PC401 512GB M.2 (HFS512GD9TNG)
8580 Points +9%
Dell Latitude 5420 Rugged-P85G
Radeon RX 540, i7-8650U, SK hynix PC401 NVMe 500 GB
8503 Points +8%
Getac S410
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, CUKUSA 1 TB SATA SSD Q0526A
8274 Points +6%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2019-20QE000VGE
UHD Graphics 620, i7-8665U, WDC PC SN720 SDAQNTW-512G
8199 Points +5%
Average Intel Core i5-8365U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (7842 - 8863, n=4)
8186 Points +4%
Panasonic Toughbook FZ-55
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8365U, Samsung SSD PM871b MZNLN256HAJQ
7842 Points
Panasonic Toughbook CF-54G2999VM
HD Graphics 620, i5-7300U, Seagate BarraCuda Compute 1TB ST1000LM048
5706 Points -27%
Productivity
Dell Latitude 7424 Rugged Extreme
Radeon RX 540, i7-8650U, SK Hynix PC401 512GB M.2 (HFS512GD9TNG)
7531 Points +25%
Dell Latitude 5420 Rugged-P85G
Radeon RX 540, i7-8650U, SK hynix PC401 NVMe 500 GB
7328 Points +22%
Getac S410
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, CUKUSA 1 TB SATA SSD Q0526A
6958 Points +16%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2019-20QE000VGE
UHD Graphics 620, i7-8665U, WDC PC SN720 SDAQNTW-512G
6870 Points +14%
Average Intel Core i5-8365U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (6002 - 6623, n=4)
6358 Points +6%
Panasonic Toughbook FZ-55
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8365U, Samsung SSD PM871b MZNLN256HAJQ
6002 Points
Panasonic Toughbook CF-54G2999VM
HD Graphics 620, i5-7300U, Seagate BarraCuda Compute 1TB ST1000LM048
5177 Points -14%
Digital Content Creation
Dell Latitude 5420 Rugged-P85G
Radeon RX 540, i7-8650U, SK hynix PC401 NVMe 500 GB
3843 Points +13%
Dell Latitude 7424 Rugged Extreme
Radeon RX 540, i7-8650U, SK Hynix PC401 512GB M.2 (HFS512GD9TNG)
3821 Points +12%
Panasonic Toughbook FZ-55
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8365U, Samsung SSD PM871b MZNLN256HAJQ
3403 Points
Average Intel Core i5-8365U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (2859 - 3403, n=4)
3117 Points -8%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2019-20QE000VGE
UHD Graphics 620, i7-8665U, WDC PC SN720 SDAQNTW-512G
3111 Points -9%
Getac S410
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, CUKUSA 1 TB SATA SSD Q0526A
2924 Points -14%
Panasonic Toughbook CF-54G2999VM
HD Graphics 620, i5-7300U, Seagate BarraCuda Compute 1TB ST1000LM048
2414 Points -29%
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Getac S410
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, CUKUSA 1 TB SATA SSD Q0526A
4197 Points +33%
Dell Latitude 7424 Rugged Extreme
Radeon RX 540, i7-8650U, SK Hynix PC401 512GB M.2 (HFS512GD9TNG)
4052 Points +29%
Dell Latitude 5420 Rugged-P85G
Radeon RX 540, i7-8650U, SK hynix PC401 NVMe 500 GB
4038 Points +28%
Panasonic Toughbook CF-54G2999VM
HD Graphics 620, i5-7300U, Seagate BarraCuda Compute 1TB ST1000LM048
3906 Points +24%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2019-20QE000VGE
UHD Graphics 620, i7-8665U, WDC PC SN720 SDAQNTW-512G
3823 Points +22%
Average Intel Core i5-8365U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (3146 - 3546, n=4)
3392 Points +8%
Panasonic Toughbook FZ-55
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8365U, Samsung SSD PM871b MZNLN256HAJQ
3146 Points
Work Score Accelerated v2
Dell Latitude 7424 Rugged Extreme
Radeon RX 540, i7-8650U, SK Hynix PC401 512GB M.2 (HFS512GD9TNG)
5231 Points +19%
Dell Latitude 5420 Rugged-P85G
Radeon RX 540, i7-8650U, SK hynix PC401 NVMe 500 GB
5170 Points +18%
Average Intel Core i5-8365U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (4381 - 4911, n=3)
4717 Points +8%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2019-20QE000VGE
UHD Graphics 620, i7-8665U, WDC PC SN720 SDAQNTW-512G
4696 Points +7%
Panasonic Toughbook FZ-55
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8365U, Samsung SSD PM871b MZNLN256HAJQ
4381 Points
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
3146 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
4381 points
PCMark 10 Score
3751 points
Help

Storage Devices

A total of two internal "quick release" storage bays (2x M.2 2280) are available that require no screwdrivers to access. Our test unit comes equipped with a 256 GB Samsung PM871b M.2 SSD that's limited by the SATA III interface.

CDM 5.5
CDM 5.5
AS SSD
AS SSD
Panasonic Toughbook FZ-55
Samsung SSD PM871b MZNLN256HAJQ
Getac S410
CUKUSA 1 TB SATA SSD Q0526A
Dell Latitude 5420 Rugged-P85G
SK hynix PC401 NVMe 500 GB
Dell Latitude 7424 Rugged Extreme
SK Hynix PC401 512GB M.2 (HFS512GD9TNG)
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2019-20QE000VGE
WDC PC SN720 SDAQNTW-512G
AS SSD
52%
122%
107%
268%
Seq Read
437.7
484.2
11%
2054
369%
2096
379%
2978
580%
Seq Write
387.3
396.1
2%
653
69%
1016
162%
2287
490%
4K Read
26.18
34.9
33%
39.34
50%
39.91
52%
47.39
81%
4K Write
60.3
74.1
23%
96.4
60%
97.9
62%
175.6
191%
4K-64 Read
369.8
382.3
3%
677
83%
636
72%
1209
227%
4K-64 Write
313.7
329
5%
982
213%
604
93%
1148
266%
Access Time Read *
0.089
0.058
35%
0.044
51%
0.044
51%
Access Time Write *
0.058
0.045
22%
0.051
12%
0.051
12%
0.023
60%
Score Read
440
466
6%
921
109%
886
101%
1554
253%
Score Write
413
443
7%
1143
177%
804
95%
1553
276%
Score Total
1083
1154
7%
2475
129%
2099
94%
3874
258%
Copy ISO MB/s
553
2151
289%
1622
193%
Copy Program MB/s
204.7
422.8
107%
378.1
85%
Copy Game MB/s
385.9
1045
171%
793
105%

* ... smaller is better

Samsung SSD PM871b MZNLN256HAJQ
CDM 5/6 Read Seq Q32T1: 548 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write Seq Q32T1: 528 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K Q32T1: 181.7 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K Q32T1: 234.6 MB/s
CDM 5 Read Seq: 481.9 MB/s
CDM 5 Write Seq: 460.9 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K: 31.11 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K: 55.4 MB/s

GPU Performance

The integrated UHD Graphics 620 is an aging GPU fit for video playback and other undemanding tasks. If you plan on running GPU heavy programs, then the optional Radeon Pro WX 4150 discrete graphics should offer a performance level similar to the Radeon RX 460.

See our dedicated page on the UHD Graphics 620 for more technical information and benchmarks.

3DMark 11
3DMark 11
Ice Storm
Ice Storm
Ice Storm Unlimited
Ice Storm Unlimited
Cloud Gate
Cloud Gate
Fire Strike
Fire Strike
Time Spy
Time Spy
3DMark 11
1280x720 Performance GPU
Asus FX550IU-WSFX
AMD Radeon RX 460 (Laptop), FX-9830P
7794 Points +352%
Razer Blade Stealth i7-8565U
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i7-8565U
4905 Points +185%
HP ProBook 445 G6
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), R5 2500U
3164 Points +84%
Intel NUC8i7BE
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 655, i7-8559U
3081 Points +79%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga 2019-20QGS00A00
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i7-8565U
1785 Points +4%
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (1144 - 3432, n=244)
1749 Points +1%
Panasonic Toughbook FZ-55
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8365U
1724 Points
Dell Latitude 13 3390
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U
1597 Points -7%
Lenovo ThinkPad 13 20J1005TPB
Intel HD Graphics 620, i7-7500U
1489 Points -14%
Chuwi LapBook Plus
Intel HD Graphics 505, x7-E3950
765 Points -56%
1280x720 Performance Combined
Razer Blade Stealth i7-8565U
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i7-8565U
4394 Points +222%
Asus FX550IU-WSFX
AMD Radeon RX 460 (Laptop), FX-9830P
2742 Points +101%
Intel NUC8i7BE
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 655, i7-8559U
2583 Points +90%
HP ProBook 445 G6
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), R5 2500U
2012 Points +48%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga 2019-20QGS00A00
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i7-8565U
1644 Points +21%
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (927 - 2505, n=244)
1578 Points +16%
Dell Latitude 13 3390
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U
1485 Points +9%
Panasonic Toughbook FZ-55
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8365U
1363 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad 13 20J1005TPB
Intel HD Graphics 620, i7-7500U
1193 Points -12%
Chuwi LapBook Plus
Intel HD Graphics 505, x7-E3950
754 Points -45%
3DMark
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics
Asus FX550IU-WSFX
AMD Radeon RX 460 (Laptop), FX-9830P
31294 Points +271%
Razer Blade Stealth i7-8565U
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i7-8565U
21755 Points +158%
Intel NUC8i7BE
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 655, i7-8559U
16698 Points +98%
HP ProBook 445 G6
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), R5 2500U
13634 Points +62%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga 2019-20QGS00A00
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i7-8565U
9500 Points +13%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga 2019-20QGS00A00
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i7-8565U
9500 Points +13%
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (6205 - 16400, n=225)
9262 Points +10%
Dell Latitude 13 3390
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U
8947 Points +6%
Panasonic Toughbook FZ-55
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8365U
8439 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad 13 20J1005TPB
Intel HD Graphics 620, i7-7500U
7285 Points -14%
Chuwi LapBook Plus
Intel HD Graphics 505, x7-E3950
3997 Points -53%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Asus FX550IU-WSFX
AMD Radeon RX 460 (Laptop), FX-9830P
5062 Points +384%
Razer Blade Stealth i7-8565U
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i7-8565U
3726 Points +256%
Intel NUC8i7BE
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 655, i7-8559U
2260 Points +116%
HP ProBook 445 G6
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), R5 2500U
1940 Points +85%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga 2019-20QGS00A00
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i7-8565U
1169 Points +12%
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (557 - 2608, n=213)
1161 Points +11%
Dell Latitude 13 3390
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U
1111 Points +6%
Panasonic Toughbook FZ-55
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8365U
1046 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad 13 20J1005TPB
Intel HD Graphics 620, i7-7500U
842 Points -20%
1920x1080 Ice Storm Extreme Graphics
Asus FX550IU-WSFX
AMD Radeon RX 460 (Laptop), FX-9830P
71660 Points +91%
HP ProBook 445 G6
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), R5 2500U
59083 Points +57%
Dell Latitude 13 3390
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U
51835 Points +38%
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (26409 - 59483, n=71)
42924 Points +14%
Panasonic Toughbook FZ-55
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8365U
37582 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad 13 20J1005TPB
Intel HD Graphics 620, i7-7500U
36295 Points -3%
Chuwi LapBook Plus
Intel HD Graphics 505, x7-E3950
17895 Points -52%
3DMark 11 Performance
1875 points
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score
57207 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
7800 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
967 points
3DMark Time Spy Score
407 points
Help

Emissions

System Noise

Fan noise is quiet at the 29 to 30.5 dB(A) range when under low to medium loads. Extreme loads like Prime95 will cause the fan to pulse to 39 dB(A) momentarily before falling and stabilizing at 33.4 dB(A). Perhaps not surprisingly, these results are similar to what we recorded on last year's Toughbook 54 as shown by our comparison table below. Fan noise is audible but also easy to ignore.

We suspect that the SKU with dedicated AMD Radeon graphics will be louder than what we've recorded here since the discrete GPU produces more heat and is more demanding than the Intel U-class CPU.

We can notice very slight electronic noise or coil whine when placing an ear near the keyboard keys. It's thankfully minor enough to not be a cause for concern.

Panasonic Toughbook FZ-55
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8365U, Samsung SSD PM871b MZNLN256HAJQ
Panasonic Toughbook CF-54G2999VM
HD Graphics 620, i5-7300U, Seagate BarraCuda Compute 1TB ST1000LM048
Getac S410
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, CUKUSA 1 TB SATA SSD Q0526A
Dell Latitude 5420 Rugged-P85G
Radeon RX 540, i7-8650U, SK hynix PC401 NVMe 500 GB
Dell Latitude 7424 Rugged Extreme
Radeon RX 540, i7-8650U, SK Hynix PC401 512GB M.2 (HFS512GD9TNG)
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2019-20QE000VGE
UHD Graphics 620, i7-8665U, WDC PC SN720 SDAQNTW-512G
Noise
1%
5%
3%
0%
4%
off / environment *
29
28.3
2%
28.4
2%
28.3
2%
28.6
1%
28.4
2%
Idle Minimum *
29
28.8
1%
28.4
2%
28.3
2%
28.6
1%
28.4
2%
Idle Average *
29.6
28.8
3%
28.4
4%
28.3
4%
28.6
3%
28.4
4%
Idle Maximum *
30.5
29.1
5%
28.4
7%
28.3
7%
28.6
6%
28.6
6%
Load Average *
30.3
31.3
-3%
30.3
-0%
29.9
1%
32.9
-9%
31.5
-4%
Load Maximum *
39
40
-3%
33.3
15%
38
3%
39
-0%
33.1
15%

* ... smaller is better

Noise Level

Idle
29 / 29.6 / 30.5 dB(A)
Load
30.3 / 39 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   Audix TM1, Arta (15 cm distance)   environment noise: 29 dB(A)

Temperature

Rear exhaust
Rear exhaust

Surface temperatures are generally warmer on the right half of the notebook than the left half since most of the motherboard components are concentrated on this side of the system. At worst, we're able to record a surface temperature of 38 C on areas that are thankfully away from the keyboard keys and palm rests.

System idle (top)
System idle (top)
System idle (bottom)
System idle (bottom)
Maximum load (top)
Maximum load (top)
Maximum load (bottom)
Maximum load (bottom)
Max. Load
 25.8 °C
78 F
33 °C
91 F
36 °C
97 F
 
 26 °C
79 F
29.2 °C
85 F
31.4 °C
89 F
 
 26 °C
79 F
27.2 °C
81 F
28.6 °C
83 F
 
Maximum: 36 °C = 97 F
Average: 29.2 °C = 85 F
37.8 °C
100 F
31.6 °C
89 F
27.4 °C
81 F
34.6 °C
94 F
30 °C
86 F
26.6 °C
80 F
28.6 °C
83 F
27.6 °C
82 F
26.2 °C
79 F
Maximum: 37.8 °C = 100 F
Average: 30 °C = 86 F
Power Supply (max.)  34 °C = 93 F | Room Temperature 20.6 °C = 69 F | Fluke 62 Mini IR Thermometer
(+) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 29.2 °C / 85 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 36 °C / 97 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 37.8 °C / 100 F, compared to the average of 36.7 °C / 98 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 22.7 °C / 73 F, compared to the device average of 29.5 °C / 85 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 28.6 °C / 83.5 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(±) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 27.7 °C / 81.9 F (-0.9 °C / -1.6 F).

Stress Test

The maximum Turbo Boost of 3.8 GHz is sustainable for just a few seconds until hitting a core temperature of 90 C. Thereafter, clock rates drop to 2.6 to 2.7 GHz in order to maintain a cooler core temperature of 69 C as shown by our screenshots below.

Running on battery power will not impact performance A Cloud Gate run on batteries returns Physics and Graphics scores of 6218 and 8643 points, respectively, compared to 6166 and 8439 points when on mains.

Prime95 stress
Prime95 stress
Prime95+FurMark stress
Prime95+FurMark stress
CPU Clock (GHz) GPU Clock (MHz) Average CPU Temperature (°C)
System Idle -- -- 36
Prime95 Stress 2.6 - 2.7 -- 69
Prime95 + FurMark Stress 1.3 1050 67

Speakers

Panasonic advertises 92 dB stereo speakers while our own independent microphone measurements show a maximum volume of 84 dB when standing 15 cm away from the front of the laptop. Roll off begins at around 1000 Hz compared to 250 Hz or 500 Hz on most Ultrabooks to represent poor bass reproduction on the Toughbook. We can notice no static or vibration issues when on high volume settings which are perhaps more important qualities of a rugged industrial laptop.

Pink noise at maximum volume
Pink noise at maximum volume
dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs204447.32540.840.63141.341.44038.740.75038.139.26337.540.78038.23910036.138.912536.137.31603435.420033.437.225033.739.431532.846.640031.552.150031.260.363030.468.480029.972.9100029.375.9125028.975.7160028.875.9200028.474.1250028.469.8315028.170.940002869.550002870.3630027.869.2800027.769.81000027.6711250027.765.71600027.559.5SPL41.184.3N4.257.3median 28.9median 69.2Delta2.29.935.335.132.931.831.83236.535.132.428.93328.936.328.848.32761.52752.924.860.92462.822.763.32269.521.267.82174.82075.919.472.718.97117.770.117.86917.671.817.668.117.671.417.673.717.670.417.571.617.671.617.669.617.459.717.583.630.662.51.5median 69.6median 17.84.72.4hearing rangehide median Pink NoisePanasonic Toughbook FZ-55Apple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Panasonic Toughbook FZ-55 audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (84.3 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 30% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (6.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 6.9% higher than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (9.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 0.9% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (3.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (28% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 86% of all tested devices in this class were better, 3% similar, 11% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 22%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 82% of all tested devices were better, 3% similar, 15% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Apple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (83.6 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 11.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (14.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.4% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (10.2% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 5% of all tested devices in this class were better, 2% similar, 93% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 19%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 3% of all tested devices were better, 1% similar, 96% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Energy Management

Power Consumption

Idling on desktop consumes between 3 W and 11 W depending on the brightness setting and power profile. Jumping from minimum brightness to maximum brightness will increase consumption by about 6 to 7 W. We're able to record a maximum consumption of 72 W from the small-medium (~14 x 5.3 x 3 cm) 110 W AC adapter. Consumption eventually falls and stabilizes at about 38 W when under such extreme processing stress due to thermal limitations.

Constant consumption when running 3DMark 06
Constant consumption when running 3DMark 06
Minimum brightness from 0s to 10s and maximum brightness from 10s to 30s. Consumption jumps by about 7 W
Minimum brightness from 0s to 10s and maximum brightness from 10s to 30s. Consumption jumps by about 7 W
Prime95 initiated at 10s mark. Consumption spikes to 72 W for a few seconds before dropping and stabilizing at 38 W
Prime95 initiated at 10s mark. Consumption spikes to 72 W for a few seconds before dropping and stabilizing at 38 W
Prime95+FurMark initiated at 10s mark. Performance throttling prevents consumption from being as high as Prime95 load only
Prime95+FurMark initiated at 10s mark. Performance throttling prevents consumption from being as high as Prime95 load only
Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.068 / 0.64 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 3.7 / 9.6 / 10.4 Watt
Load midlight 40 / 71.9 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.
Panasonic Toughbook FZ-55
i5-8365U, UHD Graphics 620, Samsung SSD PM871b MZNLN256HAJQ, IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00
Panasonic Toughbook CF-54G2999VM
i5-7300U, HD Graphics 620, Seagate BarraCuda Compute 1TB ST1000LM048, TN LED, 1366x768, 14.00
Getac S410
i5-8550U, UHD Graphics 620, CUKUSA 1 TB SATA SSD Q0526A, TN PED, 1366x768, 14.00
Dell Latitude 5420 Rugged-P85G
i7-8650U, Radeon RX 540, SK hynix PC401 NVMe 500 GB, IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00
Dell Latitude 7424 Rugged Extreme
i7-8650U, Radeon RX 540, SK Hynix PC401 512GB M.2 (HFS512GD9TNG), IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2019-20QE000VGE
i7-8665U, UHD Graphics 620, WDC PC SN720 SDAQNTW-512G, IPS, 2560x1440, 14.00
Power Consumption
22%
11%
-41%
-59%
14%
Idle Minimum *
3.7
4.4
-19%
5.6
-51%
4.8
-30%
6.5
-76%
3
19%
Idle Average *
9.6
6.3
34%
7.9
18%
13.6
-42%
15.1
-57%
6.3
34%
Idle Maximum *
10.4
6.5
37%
8.4
19%
13.8
-33%
16.1
-55%
8.9
14%
Load Average *
40
36.3
9%
32.8
18%
67.8
-70%
70.5
-76%
40.8
-2%
Load Maximum *
71.9
38.3
47%
34.3
52%
93.5
-30%
95.2
-32%
67.5
6%
Witcher 3 ultra *
69.1
68.1

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

Small-medium sized AC adapter
Small-medium sized AC adapter

Runtimes are very long with the primary battery at over 18 hours of real-world use when looping a web page every 40 seconds. Users can swap or add a secondary battery for even longer runtimes if needed.

Recharging takes approximately 1.5 hours not unlike most Ultrabooks. We attempted to recharge the system via a 130 W USB Type-C AC adapter, but it would not work. USB Type-C with Power Delivery is an option not included on our unit.

Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing
18h 24min
Panasonic Toughbook FZ-55
i5-8365U, UHD Graphics 620, 71 Wh
Panasonic Toughbook CF-54G2999VM
i5-7300U, HD Graphics 620, 33 Wh
Getac S410
i5-8550U, UHD Graphics 620, 46.6 Wh
Dell Latitude 5420 Rugged-P85G
i7-8650U, Radeon RX 540, 102 Wh
Dell Latitude 7424 Rugged Extreme
i7-8650U, Radeon RX 540, 102 Wh
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2019-20QE000VGE
i7-8665U, UHD Graphics 620, 51 Wh
Battery Runtime
-68%
-72%
-12%
-36%
-55%
WiFi v1.3
1104
352
-68%
312
-72%
972
-12%
703
-36%
493
-55%
Reader / Idle
1882
Load
190
160
83

Pros

+ hot swappable secondary battery and SATA drive
+ larger touchpad than last generation
+ removable and replaceable keyboard
+ rigid IP53 certified chassis
+ wide range of accessories
+ integrated Stylus recess
+ loud internal speakers
+ very long battery life
+ very bright display
+ Optional 4G LTE
+ strong lid

Cons

- PWM present on almost all brightness levels
- moderate-heavy uneven backlight bleeding
- keyboard must be discarded if removed
- downgraded MicroSD slot is slower
- cannot recharge via USB Type-C
- no eSIM or integrated NFC
- poor bass reproduction
- narrow color space
- display is grainy

Verdict

In review: Panasonic Toughbook 55 MK1. Test model provided by Panasonic
In review: Panasonic Toughbook 55 MK1. Test model provided by Panasonic

The Toughbook 55 offers 70 percent faster CPU performance than the Toughbook 54 while being backwards compatible with all of its accessories. Battery life is also extraordinarily long at 18 hours of constant WLAN use and the serviceable batteries, M.2 drives, WAN, and SATA expansion all make this a versatile machine when on the field.

There are aspects we think could be better. The slower MicroSD reader is a downgrade from the last generation model and the small Arrow keys are too cramped. Some features that are otherwise standard on most Ultrabooks are optional on the Toughbook including USB Type-C PD and a fingerprint reader. Other features are completely missing like Thunderbolt 3, 4K UHD, and NFC. Furthermore, the bright display could be less grainy with deeper colors, no PWM, and reduced uneven backlight bleeding for a better visual experience.

You'll want the Toughbook 55 for its longevity, bright display, wide range of accessories, and ease of servicing. Just don't expect the best colors or performance as processor options are limited to the Intel U class family with an optional three-year old Radeon GPU.

Panasonic Toughbook FZ-55 - 05/14/2020 v7
Allen Ngo

Chassis
85 / 98 → 87%
Keyboard
73%
Pointing Device
69%
Connectivity
49 / 80 → 61%
Weight
62 / 20-75 → 75%
Battery
92%
Display
84%
Games Performance
50 / 78 → 64%
Application Performance
80 / 95 → 84%
Temperature
95%
Noise
95%
Audio
74%
Camera
38 / 85 → 44%
Average
73%
81%
Office - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Panasonic Toughbook FZ-55 MK1 Laptop Review
Allen Ngo, 2019-09-26 (Update: 2019-09-28)