Review HP ProBook 445 G7: notebook with Ryzen is functional and even runs games

 Model comes with AMD 5000 generation chip and is ideal for working and even playing simpler titles

The HP Pro Book 445 G7 is one of the notebooks on sale in United State with chips from AMD.

The device has enough battery for up to six hours of use and surprised in terms of performance, bringing Ryzen 5 4500U and 8 GB of RAM in the specifications of the version tested by Tech Tudo. 

Despite the interesting hardware, the design is quite traditional, with large borders around the Full HD screen and, as a positive point, good offer of inputs and interfaces.

The HP computer also has SSD storage and an extra memory slot, allowing for a future upgrade.

With this technical sheet, the ProBook 445 G7 is found for at least R $ 5,699 in national retail. Check out the complete evaluation of the HP notebook below and find out if it is worth it to you.

Very Traditional Design

The look of the HP ProBook 445 G7 is one of the most traditional: the screen has thick edges and is black in color, the same used on keys in contrast to the silver finish of the computer.

The track pad is not large, unlike many newer notebooks, and there is a fingerprint reader that is not on the keyboard itself, but below it.

The computer even has military resistance certification, ensuring good durability.

 

It is worth highlighting the comfortable typing on the computer, which is also an important factor to increase productivity on a daily basis.

In spite of this, the power button is not as reliable, even seeming to be locked at times - nothing that interferes with the use of the machine.

The available inputs, in turn, are quite satisfactory - something important for a notebook intended for professional use. One HDMI, two USB 3.1 and one USB-C are present, as well as an auxiliary port for headphones and SD card reader.

Following the traditional design profile, this "abundance" of interfaces is important for using a second screen, adding external storage, among other examples.

Screen and Webcam

With Full HD resolution, the ProBook 445 G7's IPS display works great for working, watching series or even playing games.

What weighs the most is, in fact, the thicker edge, which deviates from the pattern seen in other productivity-oriented computers on the market.

In the specifications, they are 14 inches, 200 nits and anti-reflective technology, which helps a lot in use in bright environments.

 

The webcam, on the other hand, didn’t quite please during calls, recording at 720p and delivering images with little clarity.

Despite this, it is not far below the standard found in other notebooks.

The highlight is due to a manual lock, in which the user can slide to open or close the camera quickly.

High Performance

Here is the main advantage of the ProBook 445 G7. In the option with Ryzen 5 4500U processor, there are still 256 GB in NVMe SSD and 8 GB of DDR4 RAM.

The technical sheet is more or less on the average of models focused on productivity, but the experience on a daily basis shows a very fluid computer that can work for different jobs.

In extreme use, it was possible to run Watch Dogs 2, for example. The machine suffered, but it was possible to play without many crashes and with low video settings.

Another game tested was CS: GO, which flowed even better, with 50 to 60 fps. Considering that this type of use is far from the computer's proposal, the result was quite interesting.

Especially because, to edit simple videos, for example, the machine delivers good results. It is worth mentioning that the graphics chip is integrated: a six-core AMD Radeon.

As for editing text files, spreadsheets, among other similar applications, the ProBook 445 G7 has no difficulties.

It is important to remember that this is largely due to the good multicore performance of Ryzen chips, which means good results for working on several fronts at the same time.

Thus, it is possible to watch videos on YouTube in a tab, open several pages of text, download and have an editing program open on the machine at the same time, without many crashes.

Laptop Battery

HP speaks of a "long life" battery, without determining a closed period. During the tests, it was possible to work on the machine for six hours until the end of the load.

With greater demand from the system, this time dropped to 4.5 hours. It is not enough, but there are options of the same price range and proposal that promise greater autonomy.

Security Features

As it is a model aimed at professional use, the ProBook 445 G7 has several security features. In addition to the manual cover of the webcam and the fingerprint reader, it is worth highlighting the defenses via software.

Thus, HP promises greater protection from the BIOS, in addition to using Artificial Intelligence to recognize possible attacks and technology on the screen to prevent third-party viewing.

The computer also comes with Wi-Fi 6, the latest standard. The results - along with a supported router - were far superior to the older technology, 802.11ac (5), with much faster downloads and good fluidity in online tasks.

Price and competitors

Being aimed at business use, the HP model has rivals in computers such as Lenovo's ThinkPads.

But, in relation to products aimed at the final consumer - as it also proposes to do -, it is worth highlighting rivals such as Zenbook 14, from Asus, and Dell XPS 13.

While the first one has a screen instead of the trackpad, the top one line of Dell can come with 4K screen and touch, something interesting for presentations of work, for example.

The three promise to work very well to work, whether with texts and spreadsheets or with simpler edits of photos and videos.

During the tests of TechTudo, the three did very well for these types of use, but the ProBook 445 G7 stood out for the presence of the Ryzen chip, which delivered good results on different fronts at the same time.

Regarding prices, the HP computer costs at least R $ 5,699, while Asus and Dell laptops cost at least R $ 6,999 and R $ 8,108, respectively.

It is worth remembering that Zenbook appears only with Intel's Core i7 chip and 8 GB of memory, while XPS 13 is also available with Core i5, in the simplest version - and the same amount of RAM.

The ProBook, in turn, can come equipped with a Ryzen 7 4700U, costing R $ 6,509 in national retail.

Conclusion

The HP ProBook 445 G7 is a good option for anyone looking for a notebook to work and/or study.

Despite the very traditional design - with the right screen without the already common thin edges -, the laptop comes with a good number of interfaces, sturdy construction and a comfortable keyboard to use for long hours.