Huawei MateBook D 14 2020: the full Review

A few days ago, we gave you our first impressions of one of Huawei‘s two new consumer laptops, the MateBook D 14 2020. This ultraportable 14-inch screen is available from February 21, when will be sold 940 euros. If at the end of our Huawei MateBook D 14 review, you think you will fall for her, know that she is still in pre-order today at a price of 750 euros. And you can’t go wrong, only one configuration is available on the brand’s website: the one we are testing.

We already made the presentations during our initial handling. Also, for this Review, we will go directly to the essentials, in particular by reviewing performance, display quality and autonomy.

We will therefore not come back to the finish of the metal alloy case, or even the connection on the sides, which has been enriched by a plug since the last version. A word all the same on connectivity: there is Wi-Fi 5 to surf the web and Bluetooth 5.0 to associate all possible devices and imaginable.

Color fidelity and brightness disappoint

Our first measurements on the 14-inch mat screen are confirmed. Full HD panel is sorely lacking in brightness, with only 247 cd / m2 on average maximum. Note however that in the center, we observe a peak of 273 cd / m2, which saves the furniture a little.

The contrast ratio remains at over 1300: 1, which is not far from the average observed on other ultraportables (1400: 1). The overall homogeneity is ultimately quite good (0.015). So, in the absence of a bright light, you will have at least beautiful dark areas not burnt and not distorted, as well as quite bright colors.

Now let’s move on to color fidelity. It is unfortunately not on this side that the D 14 catches up. Delta E is 3.61, a value far too far from the median index (2 stack). The blues are very distorted, 5 times more than the red and the green which are not monsters of accuracy either. We were unable to correct the situation, even using the small software dedicated to controlling the screen.

But as we will see right away, the 2020 MateBook D 14 is not intended to run heavy applications of ehealth editing or photo editing. Also, we are tempted to be relatively forgiving with this screen. We can regret its imperfections but it must be recognized that an absolute precision of the colors is not required when we confine ourselves to office automation, to surf the Web or to watch a series on Netflix.

A good configuration for office automation and multimedia

“D” for AMD. This MateBook runs on an AMD Ryzen 5 3500U solution, a mid-range processor, with 4 cores / 8 threads, whose base frequency is 2.1 GHz. However, it can reach the speed of 3.7 GHz when all the units are not requested by an application.

It is recalled that it is on this same circuit that the graphic part has taken up residence. It is a Radeon RX Vega 8 which will punctuate in the 8 GB of RAM (DDR4) of the machine as soon as you give it somewhat muscular tasks. Finally, to store the data, a 512 GB SSD module responds to the call.

As the graph above shows, the Huawei (in blue) almost manages to provide the same benefits as its competitor Lenovo, equipped with Ryzen 7. It also manages to outperform the HP Elite Dragonfly, a recent laptop with a flat 8th generation Intel platform currently in editorial testing.

As for the Inspiron 14 (in pink), as it offers the services of a 10th generation Intel processor and a dedicated 3D GeForce MX250 card, it is a good standard meter. It allows you to assess which wood the Ryzen heat against an arsenal of more powerful components housed in a 14-inch machine.

On the graphic side, the graphic parts of the Ryzen manage to ensure the minimum to play. For recent games, it is better to resolve to 720p with levels of detail set to Medium in order to keep between 50 and 60 frames per second. For older titles, 1080p is possible, but don’t get too heavy on the effects and complexity of the polygons. Otherwise, it will be unplayable.

After having fully tested this machine, its performances is no longer 8.6 (it was the provisional rating we gave it when we first got started) but 7.63 / 10. Which is perfectly acceptable given its price. What is less so in any case, is the noise that ventilation can produce when you push the AMD processor a little too much. We have noted noise pollution of up to 38.2 dB, which is far too much for a machine of this size.

In terms of heating, under the ultraportable, the thermometer reads 46.4 ° C. We have known fresher. On the front of the machine, the mercury indicates more than 41 ° C on the whole left side of the keyboard against 31.7 ° C at the highest on the palm rests.

Finally, note that Huawei is once again embedding its Share technology in this MateBook. It allows you to associate an Honor or Huawei smartphone with the machine, and then control everything directly from the 14-inch screen. It is even possible to transfer documents, photos or videos by dragging them from one to another, very simply.

This is very practical for owners of devices of this brand … but this has no interest for others who will have to rely on the application Your phone Windows 10.

Almost able to hold a full working day

Then comes the moment so dreaded by all the laptops that pass through our hands: endurance tests. We have voluntarily removed the HP Elite Dragonfly from the graph below, because only its slightly dated Intel platform interested us to make a comparison between the components of the different teams.

The 2020 MateBook D 14 manages to supplant the Lenovo model by more than an hour in our two autonomy tests. It takes 7 h 23 in versatile autonomy and almost 7 hours in ehealth streaming, better time than when we first got started. The fact remains that these two times are both lower than the average observed over the past six months: 8 h 24 for the all-rounder, 7 h 40 for the streaming.

Note that the battery fully recharges in less than 2 hours. And in 30 minutes, it regains 50% of its capacity. In addition, as the charger is really compact and uses USB Type-C to charge the machine, have no qualms about putting it in your bag (196 grams). It can still be used to feed a recent smartphone if the MateBook D 14 is not available.

The verdict of the Review

Huawei MateBook D 14 2020

The MateBook D 14 2020 is a fine example of the progress made in the PC world by Huawei. The Chinese brand is reusing its high-end housing from 2019 for its more affordable machines from 2020 and this is not to displease us. Having chosen an AMD platform allows the manufacturer to position this 14 inch at a very attractive price while offering a fairly honest level of service. The 2020 MateBook D 14 is not necessarily the ultraportable of the year, but it should not be overlooked by those looking for a good versatile, nomadic machine with elegant lines.

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