HP’s Z-series workstation desktops and laptops are all about offering pro-level computing for different professionals. We got a chance to review the HP ZBook Power G8 mobile workstation laptop and here are our thoughts about the laptop.
Design
HP’s Z series workstation laptops aren’t just about professional workloads and security but also feature durable and stylish designs. The ZBook Power G8 comes in an all-aluminum body with military-grade durability and the chassis feels premium. The laptop weighs about 1.89 kg and the dimensions are 35.94 x 23.39 x 2.28 cm.
The display is a 15.6-inch FHD IPS panel with very narrow bezels and there is also a 720p HD camera on the top bezel portion. The display has good viewing angles and the colors are decent as well. The whites appear to be on the cool side.
As a professional-grade laptop, the Power G8 comes with the necessary connectivity options. On the right side, you get two Super Speed USB Type-A ports, along with a Thunderbolt 4 USB Type-C port and a headphone jack. On the left side, there is the RJ45 LAN port, an HDMI 2.0 port, and another SuperSpeed USB Type-A port.
The HP Premium Quiet keyboard offers a full-size typing experience, along with a programmable key, and the keyboard is also spill-resistant. The keys are also back-lit so you don’t need to worry about low-light situations. There is also a fingerprint scanner on the right side. However, the power button is oddly placed above the backspace key and this could take some time to get used to it.
The speakers are located on the top portion of the keyboard. The bottom panel of the laptop comes with air vents for better cooling performance.
Features and Performance
The ZBook Power G8 is designed to be an affordable workstation laptop for students pursuing a career in engineering and preparing for construction planning, and documentation, BIM, along with 2D and 3D blueprints. Powering the laptop is the Intel Core i7-11800H processor with 8GB of DDR4 RAM at 3200MHz speeds and a modest 256GB KXG60ZNV256G SSD from KIOXIA. The laptop came with Windows 10 OS and we had the chance to upgrade it to Windows 11 during testing.
The processor runs with a base clock speed of 2.3 GHz, and with Turbo Boost mode, it runs up to 4.6 GHz speeds. While the performance for normal applications is decent, the system memory falls short and we would suggest going for a configuration with at least 16GB of RAM. The NVMe SSD also offers decent performance with reading speeds up to 3230MB/s and write speeds up to 1689MB/s.
Since the Z series is meant for pro-grade work, the laptop comes equipped with the discrete NVIDIA T600 GPU with 4 GB GDDR6 memory. The GPU features a total of 640 CUDA cores and is designed to work with multi-app workflows such as 2D and 3D modeling, HD video editing, etc. We ran a series of benchmarks that include PCMark, 3DMark, Procyon, Cinebench R23, V-Ray test, Octanebench, and CrystalDiskMark. Check out the scores below.
Benchmarks
Other features include WiFi 6 connectivity that uses the Intel WiFi 6 AX201 module with Bluetooth 5.2. The laptop also offers enhanced security features, thanks to the HP Wolf Security for Business. As for the battery life, the device houses an HP Long Life 6-cell, 83 Wh Li-ion polymer battery that can offer up to 16 hours and 15 minutes of work time (depending on the type of usage). We ran the PCMark 10 Extended battery life test and got a run time of 8 hours and 1 minute.
Verdict
If you’re looking for an affordable workstation laptop that offers decent performance, then consider the HP ZBook Power G8. The laptop comes with a stylish and durable chassis and main screen is a 15.6-inch FHD IPS display. The laptop also has a spill-resistant backlit keyboard and there is also a fingerprint scanner for enhanced security.
The laptop also comes with multiple USB-A ports, a USB Type-C port, RJ45, and an HDMI port. The performance is decent, thanks to the Intel Core i7-11800H processor, 256GB SSD, and the NVIDIA T600 GPU. The device also comes with WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity and the battery life can last for half a day of work time, depending on the type of usage.
