Visually, the brand new Huawei MateBook 14 has infrequently modified in comparison to the predecessor. The producer continues to make use of a super show with a touchscreen and 2K solution within the 3:2 layout. Within the producer’s line-up, the ultrabook is located between the MateBook X Professional and the MateBook D14. The common fee of one,100 Euros (~$1,199) is frequently diminished through as much as 270 Euros (~$294), making the style that displays a truly top of the range workmanship already to be had for slightly 830 Euros (~$905). The label of the style is reasonably complicated. Because the up to date MateBook 14 was once already offered into the Asia language marketplace in 2022, Huawei itself calls it the “MateBook 14 2022.” However the style turned into most effective to be had within the Ecu marketplace within the fourth quarter of 2023, in order that it’s referred to as “MateBook 14 2023” right here.
In comparison to the predecessor that was once to be had in each an Intel and an AMD model, it’s important to be content material with most effective the Intel model this . What’s used here’s the Intel Core i5-1240P, and our check unit comes with 16 GB of running reminiscence and a 512-GB SSD.
Since not anything has modified within the design and the colour is “Area Grey” once more, it lends itself to a comparability with the Macbook Air M2. As well as, different profitable comparisons come with the predecessor style in addition to the LG Gram 14Z90Q and Dell XPS 13 Plus 9320, which each additionally use the i5-1240P processor. As a competitor with an AMD processor, we make a choice the Lenovo ThinkPad E14 G5, and for a comparability with present Intel processors, we use the Acer Swift Cross 14 pc.
Virtually not anything has modified within the case in comparison to the predecessor style. Within the present Huawei MateBook 14, the identify continues to show the intent, and the straightforward aluminum case reminds us strongly of a MacBook Air M2. The case seems very powerful, and the bottom and show lid face up to makes an attempt of twisting. The pc can’t be opened the use of a unmarried hand, and the hinges wobble so much when adjusting the lid perspective.
Although the utmost opening perspective is ok at 150 levels, with the touchscreen, a 180-degree perspective permitting the show to lie flat at the floor would have additionally been very sensible. As already within the predecessor, regardless of the aluminum case the keyboard deck has extra give than anticipated, however we do not truly see any genuine downside right here.
There aren’t any adjustments to the apparatus in comparison to the predecessor. You’ll to find the audio port, a unmarried USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 port, and HDMI 1.4b (4K @30Hz) at the left aspect. The truth that each USB-A ports at the proper aspect be offering the three.2 Gen 1 same old may be a bonus.
Because the unmarried USB-C port additionally represents the one charging choice, it could possibly most effective be used successfully with a dongle. Although there may be an Intel processor within the MateBook, sadly it does not improve Thunderbolt.
For a extra detailed take a look at the Wi-Fi chip and the webcam this is built-in into the keyboard, we refer you to our assessment of the predecessor, since not anything has modified on this regard. The webcam continues to provide a 720P solution, with a disadvantageous viewing perspective because of its low place within the keyboard. Whilst the webcam high quality is usable, it temporarily hits its limits in dangerous mild stipulations.
In an effort to take away the ground plate, it’s important to first take away a complete of 10 equally-sized screws. After that, a few suction cups are enough to boost up the plate. Inside of, the M.2 SSD will also be changed, however you can not do the similar with the Wi-Fi module. The twin fanatics will also be got rid of and wiped clean simply, and the battery may be simple to exchange.
Whilst we’re not able to peer any exterior exchange within the keyboard of the present Huawei MateBook 14 in comparison to that of the predecessor, the typing enjoy is healthier than with final ’s style, no less than subjectively. Key presses really feel crisp and by contrast to the predecessor style, the keyboard does not really feel spongy. Although the keyboard of the direct competitor, the MacBook Air M2, is even greater, we had been temporarily in a position to achieve our standard typing pace all through the check. As within the predecessor, the keyboard has some slight give whilst typing, however this wasn’t any important annoyance all through the check.
A critique that continues to be is that serve as keys corresponding to “House” and “Finish” could be fascinating. However general, the keyboard feels exact and at ease even for longer writing duties, making it additionally appropriate for many who kind so much. The fingerprint sensor remains to be built-in within the energy button this is thankfully now not a part of the keyboard as is normal with many different fashions at this level.
But even so the more recent processor, the brighter show in our Huawei MateBook 14 is most certainly the biggest exchange in comparison to the predecessor style. Although it’s the identical panel in keeping with the software data, we had been in a position to measure much better values, main us to think that Huawei has adopted up with some further calibration right here.
The producer continues to make use of a 14-inch show within the 3:2 layout with a top solution of two,160 x 1,440 pixels. The show bezels are attractively slender on all 4 aspects, with out the addition a notch as within the MacBook Air M2.
In some regards, the measurements of the show end up much better than the ones of the predecessor. At 411 cd/m², the typical brightness seems a excellent 44 cd/m² upper, and the brightness distribution is sort of 10% greater. However, the truly excellent distinction worth of the predecessor may now not be reached this time, and the show stays inside the marketed values at 1548:1. Within the colour area protection, we do not see any noticeable enhancements in comparison to the predecessor, however the values for AdobeRGB, sRGB, and DCI-P3 are 2% worse as an alternative.
Along side the touchscreen capability, a top pixel density of 185 pixels in line with inch completes the whole image. Although our check unit displays some slight display screen bleeding and clouding results, those don’t seem to be very noticeable in on a regular basis operation.
With values between 2 and a couple of.5, the typical DeltaE values of the Grayscale, colours, and saturation are already excellent sooner than the calibration, even though they are able to be advanced considerably with an extra calibration. The typical DeltaE values of the Grayscale end up at an excellent 0.4 after the calibration. The dimension values of the saturation will also be advanced to 0.95 and the ones of the saturation to 0.85. So an extra calibration of the show is worth it, despite the fact that the values are already above reasonable for an IPS panel. You’ll obtain our colour profile for the calibration within the phase of the show data.
With its upper reasonable brightness, the present Huawei MateBook 14 is better-suited for out of doors use than the predecessor style. On the other hand, in direct daylight even the present style hits its limits. The brightness is enough for some occasional paintings within the park or the educate, however the reflective show has in fact some disadvantages in comparison to the matte variations in the marketplace.
Whilst the predecessor style was once nonetheless presented in a complete of 4 processor variations, the present Huawei MateBook 14 arrived within the beginning blocks with just a unmarried processor model. On the other hand, the excellent leads to the benchmarks display that this does not need to be an obstacle.
Within the check, the processor is most effective surpassed through the AMD Ryzen 7 7730U within the Lenovo ThinkPad E14 G5 and the considerably more recent Intel Core Extremely 7 155H within the Acer Swift Cross 14. In virtually all of the artificial benchmarks, the MateBook 14 is in a position to surpass its predecessor, the MacBook Air M2, the Dell XPS 13 Plus 9320, and the LG Gram 14Z90Q with the similar processor.
We additionally do not understand any greater functionality drops after longer runtimes, despite the fact that the CPU most effective stabilizes after 4 mins in our Cinebench loop. As already within the predecessor style, the functionality drop in battery operation is most effective marginal.
The Huawei PC Supervisor instrument permits you to transfer between the Efficiency and Balanced energy modes. In Efficiency mode, the fanatics are considerably louder, and the TDP will also be greater reasonably. However a comparability displays that the typical functionality does not building up enormously on this mode. So those that worth a decrease fan noise quantity too can use the Balanced mode with none greater considerations concerning the functionality.
Whilst the predecessor nonetheless used the quad-core Intel Core i7-1165G7 processor, the brand new Huawei MateBook provides a Core i5-1240P with 12 cores, resulting in much better leads to virtually all of the benchmarks. The processor begins our Cinebench R15 loop at virtually 3.5 GHz, sooner than temporarily losing to about 2.6 GHz. After two mins, the functionality continues to drop to about 2.4 GHz, and after round 4 mins, the processor ranges out at 2.2 GHz with some periodic adjustments to values between 3.2 and three.4 GHz. After a height intake of greater than 60 watts to start with of the loop, the typical intake all through the benchmark lies at virtually 32 watts. At a most of 87 °C (189 °F) and reasonable of 72 °C (162 °F), the core temperatures stay considerably beneath the ones of the predecessor that reached a median of 83 °C (181 °F).
The PCMark 10 effects are cast but additionally display the weaknesses of the twelfth Intel chip era in comparison to AMD chips. The comparability with the present Intel Extremely 7 155H displays the features of more recent processors. However in comparison to the predecessor, the end result seems 7% greater. Within the Crossmark check, the present Huawei MateBook 14 seems virtually as excellent because the Acer Swift Cross 14, surpassing the predecessor with a functionality distinction of 14%.
Our subjective affect of the device functionality does not expose any issues, or even opening a number of Home windows is not any downside anymore, because of the upper collection of cores and greater multithreading functionality. The device runs easily, and we don’t understand any issues all through day by day operation.
With the present Huawei MateBook 14, it’s important to settle for some important compromises within the DCP latencies.
The predecessor was once nonetheless in a position to reach an excellent consequence right here and was once even suited to lossless audio and video processing in real-time. Sadly, this is not the case anymore for the brand new style. Even though taking part in YouTube movies in 4K high quality works with none issues, the software isn’t suited to real-time audio and video processing.
Not anything has modified within the garage answer, and the Samsung PM991 PCIe-3.0 NVMe SSD within the M.2-2280 layout with 512 GB may be used right here. Subsequently, the garage functionality could be very an identical in comparison to the Huawei MateBook 2021. In all of the situations, the velocity stays beneath reasonable and might be much better taking into consideration the present very low costs for robust garage answers.
As in final ’s style, Huawei splits the garage into the C and D walls, with the C partition providing slightly 70 GB of cupboard space.
The brand new Huawei MateBook 14 is not presented in any configuration with devoted graphics and most effective makes use of the built-in Intel Xe G7 (80EUs). By contrast, the MateBook 14 2021 nonetheless used the theoretically extra robust 96EUs model. Although the built-in graphics glance worse on paper than final ’s, the functionality is healthier or most effective marginally worse within the artificial benchmarks. Whilst the present MateBook 14 finishes 3DMark 11 most effective 2% at the back of the predecessor style, the present style surpasses its predecessor within the Cloud Gate, Hearth Strike, and Time Undercover agent benchmarks.
This development additionally displays within the video games we examined.
Except X-Aircraft 11.11, the present Huawei MateBook 14 achieves upper body charges than the predecessor in all video games. In X-Aircraft, each fashions reach the similar consequence. Nevertheless it nonetheless displays that the built-in Intel Iris graphics don’t seem to be truly suited to gaming. The choices from AMD are considerably extra robust, and the brand new Intel Arc iGPU of the Core Extremely 7 155H additionally achieves considerably upper values.
The upper functionality in comparison to the predecessor might be able to be traced again to the extra environment friendly and more recent processor and the speedier DDR4-3733 RAM. The predecessor nonetheless used DDR4-3200 RAM. What’s sensible is that the graphics functionality does not drop in battery operation.
Because the predecessor style sooner than, the present Huawei MateBook 14 stays utterly silent with easy internet and administrative center duties.
However once you flip to extra hard duties, the fanatics develop into noticeable. In Efficiency mode and below top load, the fanatics rev up significantly and may even develop into worrying. As our Cinebench loop displays, the processor of the present style is cooled significantly better. Whilst we most effective measured 40 dB(A) below load with the predecessor, the present style revs as much as virtually 48 dB(A), turning into considerably louder.
Because the MateBook it sounds as if needs to compete immediately with the MacBook Air, this worth is not truly excellent, particularly taking into consideration that the MacBook Air does not have a fan and thus stays utterly quiet.
The simpler cooling of the CPU through the louder fanatics in fact additionally has an impact at the temperatures of the case.
The typical temperature on best has lowered from 34 °C to 31.1 °C (93 to 88 °F) and from 34.2 °C to twenty-eight.6 °C (93.6 to 83.5 °F) at the backside. The hotspot at the backside of the predecessor was once additionally eradicated, permitting you to run the MateBook in your lap with none issues additionally below load.
Huawei seems to have performed some further calibration of the audio system within the present MateBook 14.
The audio system are in a position to play virtually 11 dB(A) louder, and the bass may be reasonably extra robust. However, the mids are reasonably too emphasised. Whilst the audio system are useful, you can not be expecting any miracles. Their sound remains to be too tinny, and regardless of this ’s enhancements, you continue to can’t talk about any genuine bass right here. However the audio system are utterly enough for on a regular basis operation. On the other hand, on the subject of the decrease bass and excessive highs, the MateBook remains to be surpassed through the MacBook.
The ability intake of the Huawei MateBook 14 has greater minimally in maximum situations.
Whilst the predecessor nonetheless confirmed a intake of 0.4 watts all through standby, the brand new style now consumes 0.85 watts. The intake is reasonably upper at 9.5 watts on reasonable all through idle operation as neatly. Underneath maximal load, the intake will increase from 66 watts to 67.5 watts. The incorporated 65-Watt charger is generally nonetheless enough, despite the fact that some temporary intake peaks are reasonably upper than 65 watts.
The battery lifetime of the MateBook 14 remains to be reasonably disappointing, turning out even reasonably worse than that of the predecessor, because of the greater energy intake. Within the WLAN check, the 14-inch pc lasts 9:09 hours. With an AMD processor, extra would had been imaginable right here.
In our comparability with the chosen competition, most effective Dell XPS 13 Plus 9320 fares worse. Rather than that, except for the LG Gram 14, the Home windows fashions in our comparability fall into an identical levels. However in comparison to the MacBook Air M2, which lasts longer than 15 hours, the MateBook is at a transparent downside. No less than, the MateBook provides a quick-charging mode that makes up a bit of for its battery deficits.
With its compact dimension, the Huawei MateBook 14 is an ultrabook that gives a suitably huge show within the user-friendly 3:2 layout. The reflective show floor is a minor downside, despite the fact that it makes colours seem extra colourful. In spite of the top of the range aluminum case, the load is reasonably upper in comparison to different 14-inch laptops. The touchpad is designed really well, and the keyboard fulfills its function reliably. Whilst the battery existence may have been greater, it must nonetheless final for a complete workday, relying at the utilization. With on a regular basis duties, the Intel chip used right here permits for a with ease easy operation. Within the earlier , we had been not able to peer any benefit in comparison to the AMD model and may subsequently now not suggest the Intel model. However the brand new MateBook 14 is solely to be had within the Intel model, so our outdated advice isn’t legitimate anymore. The subnotebook delivers cast effects, despite the fact that it does not carry out at eye degree with different top class fashions. However with its considerably cheaper price and the potential of continuously discovering the style for slightly greater than 800 Euros (~$872), the next functionality additionally is not essentially anticipated anymore.
The Huawei MateBook 14 is a top quality and in particular inexpensive ultrabook that gives a cast functionality and merits an actual price-performance advice when it’s to be had on sale.
As already with the predecessor, the selection between the MacBook Air and MateBook 14 strongly depends upon whether or not it’s important to use some instrument this is solely to be had on Home windows. If that is not the case, the MacBook Air is the simpler selection for many, because the show, battery, audio system, and quantity are merely significantly better. However the MacBook Air M2 additionally prices much more. A excellent selection may also be the MacBook Air M1, so long as it is nonetheless to be had.
However, those that favor a Home windows software and desire a truly excellent contact show will to find most effective few competition on this fee magnificence that still be offering a top of the range aluminum case and truly excellent workmanship. Whilst the Dell XPS 13 9320, for instance, provides a in a similar fashion top of the range case, it’s not able to stay alongside of the functionality of the MateBook and likewise prices considerably extra. The LG Gram 14Z90Q provides a considerably longer battery existence and decrease weight however does not do in addition to the MateBook within the benchmarks, and the case may be a lot much less powerful. As well as, it’s exhausting to seek out from on-line distributors. Essentially the most robust competitor in the similar fee magnificence is surely the Lenovo ThinkPad E14 G5, because the Ryzen processor delivers greater leads to virtually all spaces. Whilst its show lid may be made out of aluminum, the entire base is manufactured from plastic. The MateBook provides a considerably upper high quality case, appearing once more how tough it’s to discover a in a similar fashion cast general bundle on this fee magnificence.
The Huawei MateBook 14 with the Intel Core i5-1240P, 16 GB RAM, and 512 GB SSD is to be had within the German Huawei retailer for 829 Euros (~$904) with a present rebate.
The producer recently does not be offering any further variations, and it’s not to be had in the USA.
Allow 48h for review and removal.