HP ZBook Firefly 16 G10 review – the CPU clock under heavy load is low but the battery life is impressive


Design and construction

The device features an aluminum build. The design is up to date with its rounded edges, silver color, and matte finish. The starting weight is 1.72 kg and the profile is 19.9 mm. The dimensions are looking good for a machine with a big 16″ 16:10 screen.

The rigidity of the chassis is on point. The lid is a bit flexible but the base is very solid. Also, the surface doesn’t attract a lot of smudges. Compared to the predecessor, the big “Z” logo on the lid is gone and it’s replaced by a standard “HP” branding.

You can easily open the lid with a single hand, the hinge mechanism seems very well-tuned. Around the panel, you’ll spot thin bezels and a 5MP Web camera (or optional 5MP IR iteration) with a privacy shutter placed above the display.

The lid can be opened to almost 180 degrees. The lower part of the panel slightly raises the back of the base but this happens only when the angle of opening is very wide which isn’t very comfortable for work.

No complaints regarding the spill-resistant keyboard. The backlight is optional, but the board is quiet while typing, it has a full-sized NumPad section alongside long key travel and clicky feedback. The optional fingerprint reader is placed on the right palm-rest area. The touchpad is nothing but great – it’s large, smooth, responsive, and accurate.

The bottom panel houses two long rubber feet, a pair of speaker cutouts, and a big ventilation grill. The heat is guided through a vent on the back of the laptop that aims directly at the hinge. Sadly, some amount of hot air is reaching the display during heavy CPU and GPU loads.

Ports

On the left, you can see an HDMI 2.0b connector, a USB Type-A 3.2 (Gen. 1) port with charging capabilities, two Thunderbolt 4 connectors (both support USB Power Delivery, DisplayPort 1.4, and HP Sleep and Charge), and an optional Smart Card reader. Then, on the right, there is an Audio combo jack, one more USB Type-A 3.2 (Gen. 1) port, a security lock slot, and a SIM card tray.



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