Review Update HP ZBook 15 DreamColor Workstation

Except for a WWAN module, our test notebook is equipped with every important communication device. Gigabit LAN, dual-band WLAN, Bluetooth 4.0 and a 720p webcam are enough to meet most needs. We tested the WLAN performance with an 802.11n router on a 2.4 GHz band and reached speeds of between 2 MB/s and 5.37 MB/s. See the diagram to the right for more information. We did not experience any unusual breaks in the connection or other problems with the WLAN module. The webcam quality is sufficient in well-lit rooms, but degrades visibly in poor lighting.

Security 

Alongside the usual password protection on both the BIOS and system levels, the HP ZBook 15 also has a comprehensive repertoire of hardware security features at its command. An optional Computrace service, Intel Anti-Theft, TPM 1.2, a smart card reader and a fingerprint reader should alleviate most security concerns. You can find more information on the subject of notebook security solutions in our FAQ article.

Maintenance

HP makes it especially easy for users to gain access to important system hardware, including components the user may wish to replace. The large maintenance hatch on the underside of the notebook is attached without screws and can be unlocked by moving two sliders. Underneath you will find the 2.5-inch mass storage device, the LITEON mSATA cache drive, the wireless modules, the half-covered fan and two open RAM slots. Two more working memory slots are located under the keyboard. The notebook comes with a 4 GB module in each of the two slots. We did not find antennae for the possible future installation of UMTS or LTE modules. Lacking antennae, an upgrade of this kind will be much more difficult, if not impossible. Because we did not have a corresponding M.2 SSD, we were unable to determine whether the open M.2 slot accepts SSDs.

Warranty

Unlike the Toshiba Tecra W50 and the Dell Precision M3800, the HP ZBook 15 has a warranty period of 36 months, which is typical for devices in its class. As usual, extensions and expansions are available for an additional fee. To prolong the warranty to 5 years, for instance (U7869E, pick-up and delivery service), costs a moderate 190 Euros (~$260).

According to HP's specifications, the ZBook 15 is only offered with matte FullHD displays. However, there are three to choose from, and they differ greatly from each other. A TN version is the entry-level option -- the standard model for all the cheaper configurations of the notebook. This panel's viewing angle stability is only good enough for use at normal viewing angles. The middle option has especially wide viewing angles and uses IPS technology. The first ZBook 15 device we reviewed was equipped with this display. It scored well for its good brightness, acceptable contrast and various other respectable characteristics. Our current test device is outfitted with the DreamColor display. This RGB LED display should set itself especially far apart from the cheaper panels with its extensive color space coverage.

Intel's Core i7-4700MQ is the “bread and butter” version of the three available quad-core CPUs and is at work in many notebooks across a wide variety of classes. Thanks to its four real processor cores, four additional virtual cores (Hyperthreading) and Turbo Boost technology, this processor is able to reach optimal performance levels by various means. Multi-core-optimized software profits from the fact that eight threads can be processed simultaneously, and programs that only use one core do well with the CPU's clock rate of up to 3400 MHz.

Compared to the Intel Core i7-4800MQ CPU in the ZBook 15 we previously reviewed, our i7-4700 should perform somewhat slower. But the results prove to be a two-sided coin. While the supposedly slower CPU falls behind a little in the single-core benchmarks (as expected), it consistently achieves better results in the multi-core tests. In Cinebench R10 64-bit (Single), our test device scores 6371 points (compared to 6602 points), but in Cinebench R10 64-bit (Multi), our ZBook 15 manages 24690 points (compared to 23019 points). In our practical test with iTunes, the system reaches a speed of 52.7x converting audio files from MP3 to AAC format. Here, as expected, the CPU comes in behind the Intel Core i7-4800MQ. In the realm of video conversion, however, the Core i7-4700MQ CPU surpasses the i7-4800's speed in one of three tests.

In battery mode, we observed a decrease in performance by a margin of about 20%. In Cinebench R11.5 (Multi), for instance, the notebook only scores 5.21 points, rather than the 6.84 points it scored in AC power mode. In the stress test, with the power supply connected, the computer's performance remains relatively stable and does not fall below the base clock rate. After FurMark and Prime95 run simultaneously for about 1:30 hours, the clock rates fluctuate between 2600 and 2700 MHz.

The HP ZBook 15 is equipped with Nvidia's Quadro K2100M graphics card. With a maximum power draw of 55 Watts, this card is Nvidia's highest performance professional graphics unit designed for use in 15-inch notebooks. Nvidia's Quadro K3100M is the next level up, but it already needs up to 75 Watts. HP outfits their large workstation model, the HP ZBook 17, with these higher performance chips.

Nvidia's Quadro K2100M is a professional graphics card that uses OpenGL optimization to gain a clear performance advantage over normal consumer graphics chips in professional applications. The card also has a special BIOS and special drivers that should lend it greater reliability. The Nvidia Quadro K2100M replaces the predecessor model Nvidia Quadro K2000M, has 576 shader cores at its command, runs at a core clock frequency of up to 667 MHz and has 2 GB of GDDR5 graphics memory (connected via a 128-bit wide memory bus). In terms of performance, in the DirectX environment the card is more or less on par with Nvidia's GeForce GT 750M.

To assess the Quadro chips' performance capabilities in the professional sphere, we use the SPECviewperf tests. While version 11 uses just the OpenGL interface, the current version (12) also uses DirectX. The results are now much more differentiated, and even consumer graphics chips, like the Nvidia GeForce GT 650M in the Asus N76VZ, do well in individual segments of the test. The test now covers a broad spectrum, but is still only able to give an indication of a chip's performance capabilities. In the end, the exact program-GPU combination and graphics driver version are the decisive factors. For instance, while both Nvidia Quadro K2100Ms are more or less on par with each other in SPECviewperf 11, in SPECviewperf 12, the differences between the two are vast. We believe the two test devices' differing driver versions may be the reason for this.

The HP ZBook 15 is a high-performance 15-inch workstation that does very well when connected to the power socket. Our test device's meager RAM and slow mass storage device are problems that can be easily solved, either by upgrading the notebook on your own once you have it in your hands or by selecting a better configuration from the outset. The series' basic features are strong and tend towards meeting the demands of professional clients. The case quality is very good; the hardware, support, and upgrade options are diverse; and at 36 months, the warranty covers the expected term.

Our test device's highlight is undoubtedly its overall very good DreamColor display. With its RGB LED background lighting and IPS panel, it provides a very broad color space, stable viewing angles and good contrast values. This component's big disadvantage does not have anything to do with the display characteristics, but rather its energy consumption. For a notebook, the device's energy consumption is very high, which contributes significantly to the system's relatively short battery life. Because mobility generally is not a strength for mobile workstations, this limitation may be less significant for customers perusing this section of the market than it would be for buyers examining other types of notebooks.