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16 instead of 15 inches, AMD instead of Intel, a monitor on top at the start: Huawei’s MateBook D16 does a lot differently – and in the end it is really good, as the test by Webeenow shows!
Huawei Matebook D16 in the test: 16-inch notebook in an aluminum guise!
Test conclusion: you have to know that
The MateBook D16 is another great notebook that Huawei is bringing onto the market: Although it does not work with the latest high-end technology, it still worked really quickly in the test. In addition, the display convinces with a high image quality, the equipment is complete with the exception of the missing memory card reader. The recommended retail price of 899 euros for the D16 is okay. Even more so at the start of sales: Customers will then receive the Huawei 23.8 “display free of charge – a good deal!
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Per
- Very high pace of work
- True-to-color, high-contrast display
- Good workmanship
- Low weight for a 16-inch notebook
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Cons
- Nothing for games
- A bit noisy under full load
- RAM firmly soldered
Tole workmanship, high speed, good displays: the MateBook series from Huawei has rightly made a name for itself. The best thing: apart from the upper-class models of the X-Pro series, the Chinese left the church in the village with the sales prices – customers did not get well-equipped notebooks for too much money. Does that also apply to the youngest member? COMPUTER BILD tested the Huawei MateBook D16.
MateBook D16: 16-inch format
The format is anything but ordinary: As the product name suggests, the D16 is a 16-inch notebook and not a boring 15.6-inch device. Huawei designed the display edges so narrow that the exactly 16.1-inch screen does not make the notebook case larger than that of a 15.6-inch laptop. With the dimensions of 37×23.4 centimeters, the MateBook is slightly larger than an A4 page. On the 40.9 centimeter screen diagonal, the Huawei shows websites, documents, photos and videos in Full HD with 1920×1080 pixels.
Good picture quality
Sure, a higher resolution for a (even) more detailed representation would have been nicer, but it would also have catapulted the retail price beyond the 1,000 euro mark. But the reproduction was so nice and sharp in the test, the color fidelity was very high (98.5 percent), the contrast reproduction (1,106: 1) as well. The D16 changed the image in 13.2 milliseconds, not a great rate, but okay. The MateBook did not show ugly streaks in fast movie scenes in the test.
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Matebook D16 in the test: The display edge is so narrow that there is no space for a webcam. Huawei has placed the camera between the F6 and F7 keys – there it can be lowered when not in use.
AMD instead of Intel
Other technology than usual also works under the hood. Because instead of an Intel CPU, an AMD processor works inside – namely the unthrottled mid-range model Ryzen 5 4600H from the ” Renoir ” series, whose six cores work with up to 4 gigahertz if required. And why didn’t Huawei plant a new ” Cezanne ” processor from AMD’s 5000 series? According to Huawei, the availability of these processors is currently not rosy, and the more modern CPU would have lifted the sales price above the 1,000 euro mark.
16 gigabytes of RAM
After all, the processor is supported by a 16 gigabyte working memory (RAM) for the fast outsourcing of calculated data. The operating system, programs and data are stored on an M.2 SSD with an effective 477 gigabytes and a PCI Express 3.0 connection – a faster PCI Express 4.0 model is not used. To date, AMD does not have any notebook processors and corresponding chipsets that work with PCI-Express 4.0.
Fast work pace
But it doesn’t matter, the MateBook D16 also works really fast. In the test, it did even strenuous tasks such as putting together a film from several cell phone clips at high speed, and adding filters and effects to photos also worked without long waiting times – great! If there is anything to complain about, it is that the graphics chip housed in the processor is too weak for playing current games. But the MateBook D16 is not supposed to be a gaming notebook at all.
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Battery life expandable
The battery runtimes are, however, expandable: The MateBook D16 managed 4 hours and 17 minutes while working without a “refueling stop” at the socket, while video playback lasted 5 hours and 21 minutes. These are not top values, but quite passable. Good: The processor did not develop any high temperatures even under full load, and the notebook did not get hot on the bottom (20.5 degrees) and back (12.9 degrees; difference to the ambient temperature). But under full load, the fan had to transport the waste heat loudly out of the case at high speeds (2.7 sone).
Test table Huawei MateBook D16
| Test results | |
|---|---|
| processor |
AMD Ryzen 5 4600H |
| Graphics chip |
AMD Radeon RX Vega 6 |
| Display |
16.1 inches (1920×1080 pixels) |
| Dimensions |
37 x 23.4 x 2.1 centimeters |
| Weight |
1,721 grams, power supply: 200 grams |
| Tempo with Office / Tempo in video editing |
very fast (90.2%) / very fast (72.8%) |
| Game speed (1920×1080 pixels / 3840×2160 pixels) |
very jerky (24/8 frames per second) |
|
Accuracy of color representation / Contrast / Brightness distribution (deviation) / Image change (reaction time) |
very high (98.4%) / high (1,106: 1) / low (7.0%) / somewhat long (13.2 ms) |
| Image quality (visual test on the display) |
very high (no falsifications) |
| Battery life (work / video) / charging time |
acceptable (4:17 / 5:21) / 2:04 hours |
| Noises (office / video / full load / games) |
quiet (0.4 sone / 0.2 sone / 2.7 sone / 1.0 sone) |
| RAM (built-in / expandable to a maximum) |
16 GB / not possible |
| Storage (size, type) |
477 GB / Samsung MZVLB512HBJQ-00000 |
| connections |
1x headphone / microphone combo socket, 1x HDMI, 2x USB 3.2 Gen 1 type A, 2x USB 3.2 Gen 1 type C (also for charging) / yes |
| Radio links |
WLAN-ax (2.4 and 5 GHz), Bluetooth 5.1 |
|
Operation of the keyboard / |
little travel, good pressure point, retractable webcam in F-key row, fingerprint sensor in power switch / pleasant surface, easy and precise to use, difficult to click on the upper edge |
| Operation of the touch screen |
unavailable |
Current WLAN-ax
Great: The MateBook goes into the network via fast WLAN-ax (Wifi 6). It has Bluetooth 5.1 for synchronization with smartwatches or for pairing with corresponding boxes. The MateBook also has a comparatively large number of connections: two USB-C connections, which are not only suitable for data transfer, but also as a DisplayPort for connecting monitors via an adapter – and also for charging the battery. There is also an HDMI port for monitors, two USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports for plugging in external SSDs and printers, and a headset port.
Huawei MateBook D16 in the test: conclusion
The MateBook D16 is another great notebook that Huawei is bringing onto the market: Although it does not work with the latest high-end technology, it still worked really quickly in the test. In addition, the display convinces with a high image quality, the equipment is complete with the exception of the missing memory card reader. The recommended retail price of 899 euros for the D16 is okay. Even more so at the start of sales: Customers will then receive the Huawei 23.8 “display for free – a good deal!
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