Review HP EliteBook 8570w Notebook
HP is one of the few manufacturers offering mobile workstations - powerhouse notebook systems catering to the needs of demanding professionals - in their product portfolio. While Lenovo recently decided to drop their 17-inch workstation (thus only offering a 15-inch version), HP is expanding their selection. DELL XPS L501x battery
In addition to the 15-inch and 17-inch systems, HP now also offers the 14-inch EliteBook 8470w. While this smaller model brings portability to the workstation segment and the larger model is designed for flat-out performance, the 15-inch model offers a compromise as it bridges portability and performance. This mainstream-sized notebook also has the most configuration options. The spec sheet of the EliteBook 8570w lists three different professional graphics cards, three different displays, dual- and quad-core processors, up to 32 GB of RAM, a plethora of hard drive choices, and four different battery options. Sony VGP-BPS13/S
Our review model constitutes an entry-level configuration and features an Intel Core i5-3360M dual-core CPU, 4 GB RAM, a matte display with HD+ resolution, Nvidia Quadro K1000M GPU, and a conventional 500 GB hard disk drive. The street price for this configuration is around 1840 Euros (~$2350). HP HSTNN-F05C
Case
The HP EliteBook 8570w uses the same premium and very sturdy chassis featured in the predecessor HP 8560w. The chassis is very rigid and the materials are top-notch - not surprising if one considers the expectations of its target audience. As far as look and feel are concerned, the 8570w is clearly a step above some of the competition (Fujitsu Celsius H720 and the Lenovo ThinkPad W530 for example). Thanks to the superior build quality none of the surface areas flex even when a decent amount of pressure is applied. The entire unit features a matte and highly resilient finish and the brushed aluminum surfaces (which have a slightly greenish hue) look very classy. Overall this is very well designed chassis with no apparent weaknesses. Dell Inspiron N5010 battery
The battery locks firmly into place, while the base unit features four fairly large rubber feet which allow the notebook to be used without the battery inserted. The hinge design is solid and the display itself resists twisting quite well - without any impact on picture quality. The display locking mechanism features double hooks and uses a good-sized (but still unobtrusive) push-button as the release. As far as overall quality is concerned, the HP 8570w is on the same level as the Dell Precision M4700, followed by the Lenovo ThinkPad W530 and the Fujitsu Celsius H720. Lenovo Thinkpad R61 battery Dell J70W7 JWPHF DELL XPS 15 battery
Of course the high quality has a negative impact on portability: the notebook weighs in at 3.25 kilograms (7.17 pounds) with the 83 Wh battery. According to HP, the minimum weight of 3.00 kilograms (6.61 pounds) requires an SSD and an empty bay drive (a blank is inserted instead). However, the HP EliteBook isn't noticeably heavier than the competition. Lenovo L09L6D16 Samsung NP-R40 battery
Performance
Our review model comes equipped with the Intel Core i5-3360M - certainly one of the less attractive choices, since the EliteBook 8570w is available in an otherwise identical configuration with an Intel Core i7-3610QM quad-core CPU and Full HD display for about 300 Euros (~$380) more. In addition, our unit only has two RAM slots, which limits the maximum RAM to 16GB. At the time of this review, HP and HP resellers only offer models with Full HD display and the Intel Core i7-3610QM CPU as the top configuration - all the additional hardware components listed in the spec sheet don't seem to be available. At least the potential buyer gets a choice of all three graphics cards (AMD FirePro M4000, Nvidia Quadro K1000M, and Nvidia Quadro K2000M). Unchanged from the predecessor, the AMD FirePro constitutes the entry level GPU, whereas the Nvidia Quadro K2000M GPU is considered the top of the line. We encountered the Nvidia Quadro K1000M (which our model features) during our time with the Fujitsu Celsius H720 (we found the graphics performance to be quite acceptable and liked Nvidia's Optimus technology). HP 440772-001 Toshiba Qosmio F60 battery
Processor
Aside from the (lower) price, the Intel Core i5-3360M certainly has
its place in the workstation lineup. Since the frequency is a bit higher
(3500 MHz), it can outperform the quad-core Intel Core i7-3610QM if the
software isn't able to take advantage of multiple cores. In addition,
the dual-core CPU consumes a bit less power (TPU 35 watts), which
improves battery life. In the single-thread benchmark tests - SuperPi
32m (606 seconds), Cinebench R10 Single (5902 points) and R11.5 Single
(1.40 points) - the dual-core i5 is able to outscore the quad-core i7
processor. The i5 also posted a slightly higher speed when converting
MP3s to AAC in iTunes (49.8 x vs. 47.1 x). Sony VGP-BPS9/B battery
Asus K53E Battery
Asus A52F Battery
Acer Aspire One A150 battery
Of course things change when several cores are being utilized: now the i5 can't keep up with the powerful quad-core processor. The i5 scored 12464 points in the Cinebench R10 Multi (64 bit), which is quite a bit behind the 20000 points (and more) the quad-core CPU is able to reach. The calculation with wPrime1024 also took longer by about 40% (469 seconds). When we ran our video conversion test of two movies (tasking only the CPU), the Intel Core i5-3360M-CPU took about 30-50% longer than Intel's Core i7-3610QM in the Asus N76VZ. Dell J1KND LENOVO ThinkPad T430 Battery Apple MacBook 13 inch battery ASUS Eee PC 1001PX battery
We observed a performance degradation of about 20% when we ran the workstation on battery power. According to HW64, the maximum frequency is now limited to 2800 MHz (3500 MHz when the notebook is plugged in). The Cinebench R10 64 bit scores are now 4911 points (Single) and 10664 points (Multi), respectively. Removing the battery while the laptop is plugged in has no ill effect on performance.
System Performance
Overall system performance is a result of how the individual
components (processor, graphics card, RAM, and hard drive) interact with
each other. The HP EliteBook 8570w shows very decent performance and
should be able to handle most workloads. Office-type tasks, picture
editing, and conversions happen without major delays - although the
latter would certainly benefit from a more powerful workstation
configuration. We were pretty happy with how our review model handled
the workload - especially when Nvidia's CUDA technology is utilized.
PCMark 7 and PCMark Vantage concluded with 2319 and 8650 points
respectively. Toshiba Satellite L40 battery
HP 593562-001
The system's bottlenecks are the RAM configuration (since there is only one module installed, RAM operates in single channel mode) and the comparatively slow conventional hard drive. Both issues can be remedied fairly easily and cheaply. To make the RAM operate in dual channel mode, we recommend installing a second 4 GB module into the open slot. As far as the choices for drives are concerned, please take a look at the next segment. acer aspire 8930 battery
Storage Solution
The conventional hard disk drive (from Hitachi) only offers a capacity
of 500 GB, which we consider the absolute minimum for a platter-based
drive. Transfer rates, access times, and perceived execution speed are
not really up to today's standards, despite the fact that this is a 7200
RPM drive. One of the reasons why conventional drives are still offered
is the much higher costs of solid state drives. The EliteBook has
several different options for storage - the best choice would be to
replace the old fashioned hard drive with an SSD. In addition, a
secondary SSD could be installed in the optical bay (or the old hard
drive could be installed there instead). Another tempting option is to
use an mSATA SSD in combination with the hard drive or a Solid State
Drive. There are plenty of different configuration and combination
options, which are probably mostly limited by the budget of the
prospective buyer. One thing that needs to be considered is that the
mSATA connection only operates at SATA II speeds, which might not make
it a suitable choice for a boot drive. HP G62 battery
We tested the Nvidia Quadro K1000M GPU (which is based on a modified Nvidia GeForce GT 630M) when we reviewed the Fujitsu Celsius H720. This professional graphics card features 2 GB of RAM with a 128 bit bus and scores a bit higher than the GT 630M in most consumer benchmarks (due to the higher core frequency of 850 MHz). The integrated Intel HD Graphics 4000 of the processor is not used, since Nvidia Optimus is not implemented. The GPU scored 8116 points in the 3D Mark 06 test, 4978 points running 3D Mark Vantage, and 1200 points in the 3D Mark 11 benchmark test. Cinebench R10 OpenGL Shading (6721 points) and Cinebench R11.5 (26.02 points) are also in line with what we expected. DELL Alienware M14x battery Asus A32-N61
The performance advantage of the Quadro K1000M becomes apparent when running applications which can take advantage of the CUDA engine (meaning the graphics processor is handling the load) - for example, professional 3D software like CAD. Compared to the Nvidia GT 630M, the conversion of Big Bug Bunny only takes about half the time - in fact, even the higher-end Nvidia GT 650M is actually slower by a few seconds when running this test. However, when working with WMV-files, the Quadro drops in performance and is now slower than the Nvidia GT 630M. In this case, the performance of the CPU (Core i5-3360M compared to the Core i7-3610QM) matters and influences the result. ASUS U56E charger
The SPECviewperf11 benchmark test evaluates the performance of different CAD programs. Compared to the Fujitsu Celsius H720, we saw differences of up to 16% plus and 25% minus (depending on the application). We think that the differences can be mostly attributed to the drivers used (advantage HP 8570w) and the performance of the CPU itself (advantage Celsius H720). Overall, the EliteBook offers solid performance - only very demanding applications and projects would need a more powerful configuration. Sony VGP-BPS13A/B
When editing photos in Photoshop CS6, certain filters and 3D-functions are able to take full advantage of the graphics acceleration. Some of the filters - like "oil paint" - only work with the graphics acceleration turned on, others (like "liquify") recommend it. When we worked with "liquify", the differences in process time ranged from instantaneous (just GPU) to 15 seconds (just CPU). Toshiba Portege M800 battery
When the laptop is running on battery, the CPU frequency drops slightly and performance declines by about 20%. Consequently, the score for Cinebench R10 OpenGL Shading is now 5799 points instead of 6721 points.
Gaming Performance
As far as the suitability of this workstation for playing games is
concerned, we can expect a similar result as with the Nvidia GT 630M
GPU, although performance is a bit better due to the higher frequency of
the Quadro K1000M. For most current games, medium and low settings are
needed to allow for a high frame rate and a decent experience while
playing. Dell Inspiron 1545 battery
System Noise
In order to get the cooling fan to stop spinning once in a while, it
is necessary to change an option in the BIOS - otherwise the fan is on
at all times. Even when the cooling system is silent, the hard drive is
not: we measured 32.5 dB(A), which makes the hard drive sound like yet
another fan. A solid state drive or a less noisy hard drive could
improve this situation. When the workload is increased beyond just
checking emails, document reading, and internet surfing, system noise
increases to a pretty audible 34.7 dB(A). Full load causes the noise
level to top out at 49.4 dB(A) - annoying even after a short amount of
time. The DVD optical drive is also not really quiet at 37.2 dB(A),
which can disrupt quiet movie passages. SONY VGP-BPL22
Temperature
Since the cooling system is active at all times (unless the
aforementioned BIOS setting is changed), the temperatures of the
workstation are well controlled. Even after extended periods of load, we
never measured more than 38 °C (100.4 °F) even at the surface area
above the cooling fan exhaust. Even a higher performance version of the
workstation should not tax the cooling capabilities too much. We did not
observe any throttling due to heat or because of power (the power
adapter delivers 120 watts). Dell Inspiron 1764 battery
Speakers
The speakers, which are located on the front, produce fairly balanced
and undistorted sound as well as decent mids and bass. Even this
solution can't come close to the sound external speakers retailing for
10 Euros (less than $15) are capable of, but overall the quality is
better than average. Maximum volume is sufficient for smaller
presentations and adjustable in 50 steps. Compaq Presario CQ61 battery
Toshiba Satellite Pro T130 battery
DELL XPS L701x battery
Battery Life
Power consumption
Minimum power consumption of the system is 15.8 watts; the maximum
under load is 88.1 watts. The Intel HD Graphics GPU, which is not used,
could definitely improve power consumption, especially during low load
levels and idle and lead to longer battery life when the user is
performing office-type tasks. The power supply is rated for 120 watts
and delivers enough power even during maximum system load. ASUS Eee PC 1008HA-PU1X-Pi Battery
The battery life is still quite decent, despite the performance-oriented Nvidia Quadro K1000M. The reasons are the energy efficiency of the GPU on one hand and the high capacity of the lithium battery (83 Wh) on the other. The EliteBook lasted over 6 hours during our Battery Eater Readers Test (screen brightness on its lowest setting, power saver profile, all wireless components off). When we ran the realistic WLAN surf test (brightness set to 141 cd/m², power saver profile) and the DVD playback test, the notebook shut down after about 4 hours in both cases. During the Battery Eaters Classic Test (all wireless modules on, display at maximum brightness, performance profile), the EliteBook still lasted slightly longer than 2 hours - a benefit of the reduced CPU/GPU frequencies while on battery. Dell Latitude D430 battery
Verdict
The HP EliteBook 8570w is capable of performing most tasks very well - despite the somewhat low-end configuration. The only major point of criticism: HP didn't implement Nvidia's Optimus technology (our review of the Fujitsu Celsius H720 left us with a very favorable impression of this technology). As a result, HP's workstation loses some points due to higher noise levels, higher power consumption, and a reduction of the possible battery life. In addition, Quick Sync (Intel's hardware video encoding and decoding technology), which is built into the CPU, is also not available - some users who need to work with videos a lot might not be too happy about this omission. Dell GK479
The reason why the HP EliteBook 8570w still managed to score a "very good" is due to the very well executed chassis, the exemplary port selection, the very good display, and ease of expandability. The EliteBook also manages to live up to workstation standards in other important areas - like input devices, warranty coverage, and overall system performance. HP Compaq 6710b battery
Last but not least: the price. Compared to other configurations, our review model of the HP EliteBook 8570w seems a tad overpriced. Maybe HP will change the price-performance ratio down the line - otherwise it might be better to choose a different model of the series.