HP ProBook 430 G5 Review - Pros and Cons

In 2017-2018, the American company Hewlett-Packard released a line of high-quality ultrabooks ProBook 430 G5, which hold a leading position among business laptops throughout 2018. The compact device captivates with its functionality and lightness. The 7th and 8th generation Intel Core processor helps make the process fast and, most importantly, uninterrupted.

There are 36 modifications of this model in total. They differ in RAM, productive processes, hardware base and different video cards. Due to the different stuffing of the laptop, their price also changes accordingly.

When a buyer sets a goal to find a high-quality laptop in the business segment, then urgent questions arise: “How to choose the right one? Which firm is better? What is the price?".

An overview of the HP ProBook 430 G5 laptop - advantages and disadvantages, will help you decide whether to pay attention to this model.

Specifications

ProBook 430 design

The laptop has a silver polycarbonate finish, emphasizing the graceful thin lines. A beautiful and durable coating has the disadvantage of a bendable cover. Therefore, you will have to ensure that no heavy object is on the surface. Beneath the 23mm chassis is a comfortable, premium aluminum keyboard.

Display

Full HD IPC (1920 X 1080) matte color screen, 13.3 inches.
The specification states the following:

• sRGB is 45%;
• The maximum brightness of the screen reaches 220 cd/m2.

When testing the ProBook 430 G5, the following indicators were revealed:

• produces 65% of the sRGB spectrum;
• as for the maximum brightness, it reaches 202 cd / m2.

Despite the declared data in the form of a powerful processor and a large amount of memory, the quality indicators of the display do not reach a high level. For example, the laptop of the same business class Lenovo ThinkPad T480 achieves more than 77% brightness and 269 cd/m2.

The advantage is that the laptop can be used in sunny weather. Since the screen does its job well, thanks to the lack of glare on it.

Memory

The maximum amount of RAM is 16 GB. That allows you to perfectly cope with multitasking without slowing down the process. There are also two additional SODIMM slots for memory.The user can independently change and update memory modules for the most comfortable work.

Performance

CPU

The line of new products for 2017-2018 HP ProBook 430 G5 offers the following types of processors:

• 7th generation Intel Core i5 processor (i5-7200U);
• Intel Pentium Gold processor;
• 8th generation Intel Core i5 processor (i5-8250U);
• 8th generation Intel Core i3 processor (i3-8130U);
• 8th generation Intel Core i7 processor (i7-8550U).

It should be noted that thanks to the Turbo Boost mode, the processor performance can increase from 1.6 GHz to 3.4 GHz. This helps the laptop to cope with all sorts of office tasks. What plays a fundamental role in the choice, for professionals in their field.

video card

ProBook 430 G5 use graphics cards:

1. Intel UHD Graphics 620;
2. Intel HD Graphics 620;
3. Intel HD Graphics 520.

The manufacturer has added a discrete Nvidia GeForce 930MX solution with 2 GB of GDDR3 memory to the new top models.

The ultrabook will not be afraid of Internet surfers, it will show a high level of multitasking. The device also shows good capabilities in working with multimedia content. Including Ultra HD playback.

For gamers, the ProBook 430 G5, unfortunately, will not work. The processor is not powerful enough to handle heavy games. You can use this model for games with an average system requirement. In this case, it is better to play by reducing the game settings.

The temperature and volume of the device

Despite the varying complexity of the tasks, the work of the laptop remains within the normal range. Of course, the high-frequency squeak of the coils can be heard in complete silence, but this can hardly be called a disadvantage. After all, there are few places where you can achieve perfect silence.Even when working from home or using a laptop for study, it is difficult to imagine perfect silence.

As for temperatures, unfortunately the ProBook 430 G5 doesn't cool the system well enough, even under light load. This minus will upset both the average user and the gamer. After all, what could be more important in a laptop during the game, in addition to the technical component? Of course, so that the laptop does not warm up.

Operating system

HP ProBook 430 G5 supports DOC operating systems:

1. Windows 10 Pro;
2. Windows 10 Home 64;
3. FreeDOS 2.0.

For programmers, the compatibility of the device with linux will be good news.

Safety

The ProBook 430 G5 has a big advantage for business travelers with a high level of device security. Thanks to the fingerprint reader and face recognition capabilities, the notebook guarantees the security of important data and documents.

Offline work

The ergonomic ProBook will please you with a good battery that holds a charge for as long as possible. During office work, the laptop will work for more than 11 hours. If the user plans to spend time playing games or watching videos, then the indicator will be 10 or 10.20 hours. These results reach a very high level. Especially if you take into account the “icing on the cake” in the form of a quick charge, namely: 90% in 90 minutes. It's safe to say that the HP ProBook 430 G5 has the longest battery life of any business laptop.

You can easily take a long-playing laptop to a business meeting without fear that it might turn off at the most inopportune moment. Also, this line will be the best companion for travel lovers.

An additional advantage is the low weight of the device. Depending on the modification, it does not exceed 2 kg.

Audio

The HP ProBook 430 G5 boasts 2 built-in stereo speakers and a dual array microphone. With HP Audio Boost technology, the device provides excellent sound. If you still have some problems with sound, then you should use the HP Audio Controls program. It is designed for audio files and a sound card, the coordinated work of which helps to achieve the best sound.

Keyboard and touchpad

A big plus is that the ergonomic keyboard is equipped with moisture protection. This is one of the main criteria for choosing a buyer. After all, it is difficult to imagine a workflow without any unforeseen situations, in the form of spilling coffee or water on the keyboard. What you should pay attention to is the matte inner panel of the laptop. Because of this, there are problems with left fingerprints. Depending on the modification of the models, an additional backlight is present.

1.4mm key travel for comfortable typing. The 4.3" x 2.5" touch panel provides fast and pleasant operation. Ease of use helps to quickly wean from working with the mouse.

Ideal conference assistant

It is a pleasure to conduct important meetings without unnecessary noise and with high quality video calls. An HD quality webcam, Skype for Business certification and excellent noise reduction thanks to HP Noise Cancellation will help.

A plus for an offsite business meeting will be the ability to organize a full-fledged workplace outside the office, using an additional docking station.

HP ProBook 430 G5: durable and strong

When talking about laptops with "powerful hardware", then remembering the HP ProBook 430 G5, the thought of a quality build does not come immediately.After all, first of all, it is important that the popularity of this model depends not only on technical characteristics, but also on possible heavy loads.

Do not be afraid to damage this model, because it passed 9 MIL-STD 810G military tests. Among which were: operation of the device at an altitude of more than 4.5 km, checking operation in hot conditions - 60 degrees Celsius and also in cold - 20 degrees.

The ProBook 430 G5 meets safety requirements on many counts. Considering the above protection in the form of face recognition and fingerprints, it is necessary to highlight the following:

1. TPM 2.0 module chip - it protects sensitive data.
2. HP BIOSphere fourth generation, protects the system BIOS.

The cost of a popular model

For the price, the HP ProBook 430 G5 line is not a budget option. But this should not be expected, because the high level of laptop capabilities does not imply its being in the ranking of inexpensive models. Adding that the HP ProBook 430 G5 line is one of the best-selling and top-ranking business laptops, the surprise at the price disappears altogether.

The price of the device is from 33,596 to 127,290 rubles, depending on the modification of the device.

In order to save some of the money, you can pay attention to buying laptop accessories on aliexpress, at an affordable price.

Pros and Cons of the HP ProBook 430 G5

• compact, thin and light;
• beautiful classic design;
• strong and durable body;
• high level of security;
• powerful battery;
• ergonomic aluminum keyboard with moisture protection;
• silent;
• uninterrupted operation of the processor;
• large memory capacity with the possibility of self-upgrading and replacement of memory modules, using an additional two SODIMM slots.There is also support for dual-channel memory;
• good sound;
• background noise suppression.

• poor color space coverage and poor contrast;
• the processor does not pull high-demand games;
• the cooling system does not do its job well - the laptop is very hot;
• laptop lid bends.

The HP ProBook 430 G5 is a great companion for both business and home use. Despite certain shortcomings, the laptop perfectly combines value for money.