HP ProBook 4530s review

HP’s ProBook range sits between the business-focused EliteBook series and the more consumer oriented Pavilion laptops. The 4530s is a good example: its brushed-metal finish, simple yet sleek design and high performance components won’t look out of place in the boardroom, but the dedicated graphics card, DVD optical drive and spacious 640GB hard disk make it a potential multimedia powerhouse too.

Powered by an Intel Core i5-2410m running at 2.3GHz and paired with 4GB of RAM, the 4530s is about what we would expect from a mid-range laptop. The processor can use Turbo Boost to speed up to 2.9GHz when running intensive applications such as our multimedia benchmarks. An overall score of 52 is slightly lower than other Core i5 laptops we’ve seen, but still more than enough for everyday tasks such as web browsing, word processing and image editing.

Because it has 1GB of dedicated video memory, the AMD HD 6390M graphics card is a welcome step up from the processor’s integrated chip. Both can handle high definition video, either at 720p on the laptop or 1080p on an external display, but only the AMD chip could manage games. A stable 26fps in our Dirt 3 test proves most games should be playable at 720p as long as you’re sensible with the detail options. Thankfully, the dedicated graphics don’t impact significantly on battery life and five-and-a-half hours in our light-use test is respectable for a 15in laptop.

We had no trouble using the 4530s in direct sunlight thanks to the matt finish on the 15.6in display. The 1,366×768 resolution is just about large enough for working on two documents side-by-side, but we would have liked to have seen a slightly higher resolution at this price. Brightness was reasonable, but colours hardly popped off the screen without a glossy finish. There was ample screen tilt, but viewing angles were only average.

The downward-firing speakers produced reasonably loud audio of average quality. Although mid-range notes were clear, the high-end was overly tinny and there was no audible bass. Although this is fine for watching streaming internet video, we would still recommend connecting a set of speakers when watching a movie.

Typing on the Chiclet-style keyboard was fantastic, as each key produced a very springy action with plenty of tactile feedback. Even with a separate numerical keypad, there was plenty of space between each key so our fingers never felt cramped. We also appreciated the sizable touchpad, which let our fingers glide across its surface with minimal friction thanks to a smooth finish. The two buttons directly below is are a good size and felt firm, although the surprisingly accurate multi-touch gestures were just as easy to use as the physical buttons.

Considering it’s targeted at business users as well as consumers, we were surprised at the basic connectivity on the 4530s. Four USB ports, a multi-format card reader and an ExpressCard/34 slot are hardly comprehensive, although you do still get an internal DVD re-writer and a fingerprint reader for enhanced security.

At around £670, it’s difficult to recommend the Probook 4530s, as you’re paying extra for a graphics card that’s slightly worse than the one found in this Dell Inspiron 15r. The solid construction and superb keyboard aren’t enough to justify the extra costs, when Dell’s laptop is much better value overall.