HP EliteBook 745 G3 review

HP claims that the notebook sheds 10% of its thickness and 13% of its weight from the previous generation G2 model. However, don't let its lighter weight and slimmer figure fool you, the EliteBook is still a durable notebook having passed MIL-SPEC 810G testing against dirt, dust and drops.

For office workers who eat and drink at their desks, the spill-resistant keyboard means that an accidentally spilled glass of water won't damage the laptop. Liquid that is spilled on the keyboard will flow through a drainage system that empties out through a hole on the bottom of the EliteBook 745 G3.

When used with Windows 10, the integrated fingerprint sensor makes it easy to unlock your laptop with Windows Hello. This makes securing your data easier than having to type in a password. The swipe-based fingerprint reader isn't quite as easy as newer touch-based readers, but I found the system to be accurate and fast. Out of ten swipes, the 745 G3 was able to positively identify me eight tens.

For added security, the EliteBook 745 G3 also comes with HP's Sure Start technology. The self-healing BIOS ensures that the BIOS will restore itself in the event of a corruption, either as a result of malicious software or an interrupted BIOS update.

Overall, the EliteBook 745 G3 feels fast, and I didn't notice any performance difference when compared to systems with Intel's Core i5 processor. The notebook had no problems handling Windows 10's natives apps while running instant messaging clients, handling multiple tabs in multiple browser windows, and running Skype conference calls and messaging apps. The only slight slow down I've noticed is that larger programs, like Adobe Premiere Pro, would start up slower on the EliteBook 745 G3 compared to the Intel-powered Lenovo ThinkPad T450s, but performance within the app was similar with both systems.

Display

A rarity even on business notebooks today, the matte display was very comfortable to use. Because of the matte finish, the screen doesn't appear as crisp as a glossy display. However, I found the EliteBook 745 G3's matte screen more comfortable than the glossy screen on the EliteBook Folio 1020 for extended use. The matte coating minimizes reflection and glare, which also means less eye strain.

The display provides wide viewing angles, and the 300 nits of brightness means that it is comfortable for use indoors and outdoors under shaded areas. You'll want to avoid using the 745 G3 under direct sunlight, as the screen gets washed out.

As I'm now accustomed to using a touchscreen on Windows-based systems, not having a touchscreen on my EliteBook 745 G3 review unit was a big hindrance. A touchscreen is an optional upgrade, as is a higher resolution QHD panel.

Audio

Unlike the Envy and Spectre consumer PC lines, HP opted not to include any visible branding from its audio partnership with Bang & Olufsen. Even though you won't find any B&O branding on this laptop, HP assured me that B&O tuning helps the 745 G3 deliver a superior experience for voice and video conferencing.

As a result of the collaboration with Bang & Olufsen, the EliteBook 745 G3 comes with noise reduction software to minimize background and keyboard noise when you're on a video conference call, and the laptop comes with HP Clear Sound Amp so you can hear clearer audio from the call.

For a laptop, I found audio quality to be loud, rich and clean, even at high volume settings. Audio output is loud enough to fill a small room. There was no distortion at the highest volume, but audiophiles who want even richer audio output should invest in quality headphones or speakers.

For comparison, the standard edition of the HP EliteBook Folio 1020 G1 does not come with any Bang & Olufsen tuning.

Battery life

HP didn't provide battery life estimates, but AMD claims that the A12 Pro APU is capable of all-day battery life when playing back 1080p videos.

PCMark8's rigorous battery life test shows that the EliteBook 745 G3 is capable of three hours and 31 minutes of battery life when performing work tasks.

Looping a 1080p-encoded video with volume and brightness set to 50%, the EliteBook 745 G3 delivered just shy of six hours of battery life, which is good for a transcontinental flight. We're still evaluating battery life on the EliteBook 745 G3, and we'll update this review with our results.

Value

AMD's value proposition with the A12 Pro APU is that you'll get similar performance to Intel's mainstream Core i5 processor at a lower price.

With the savings you'll get when choosing the A12 Pro APU over a comparable build with an Intel Core i5 processor, AMD says you can invest that price difference into other components. This means you can upgrade to a faster solid state drive, increase the hard drive capacity, add more RAM or use your savings to invest in a 4G LTE upgrade for your laptop.