HP ProBook 430 G5 [430G5 3DN21ES]

small and powerful

Model 430 G5 from Hewlett-Packard is rightfully kept in the tops of sales due to the combination of compact size and performant hardware.

The HP ProBook 430 G5 has a powerful quad-core Intel Core i5 processor of the penultimate generation. It operates at a frequency of 1.6 GHz and even in this mode shows excellent performance. If you need to throw firewood into the fire, then with the help of TurboBoost technology, all four cores can “fire up” up to 3.4 GHz.

Together with 8 GB of DDR4 RAM (expandable up to 16 GB) and a fast SSD drive, the laptop demonstrates excellent performance without any reservations. In PC Mark 7 tests, it scored an excellent 6043 points, which allows it to cope with everyday tasks (surfing, documents, videos), run professional software (Photoshop, Cubase) and even play a little. Although gaming performance will still be limited by the integrated Intel HD 720 graphics card.

Strict design and quality assembly

Laptop dimensions are 326x234x19.8 mm and weighs almost one and a half kilograms. It is slightly larger than the rest of the laptops from our top, but the difference of a couple of centimeters in width is almost imperceptible to the eye and does not reflect in any way in a bag or backpack.

Appearance gravitates more to the usual laptop forms, there are quite noticeable frames around the display, and the base made of plastic and polished aluminium looks rather strict and conservative.

Thoughtful ergonomics

The keyboard is comfortable, with long key travel and low resistance to pressure, the laptop is great for those who type a lot. Also worth noting is the fingerprint scanner, hidden in the touchpad unit.

The case is assembled to the conscience, nothing creaks or backlash, the lid does not squeeze through, even if you press it down with effort, and the laptop itself remains quiet even at peak loads.

Speaking of loads. Even working with heavy software, the HP ProBook 430 G5 lasted about 7 hours on a single battery charge. In office mode with occasional coffee breaks and smoke breaks, the battery life reached 11 hours. This is a very, very impressive result.

Attractive price

Right out of the box, the laptop comes “naked” — neither Windows nor Linux is here, so you will have to install the OS yourself. On the one hand, there is nothing complicated in this, fortunately, installing Windows and a set of drivers has become much easier over the years. On the other hand, not everyone wants to mess around with DOS.

But the lack of an OS is one of the factors that made it possible to keep the price of the HP ProBook 430 G5 15-20% lower than other models of 13-inch laptops with identical hardware. This is an affordable laptop that combines powerful hardware, quality materials and an attractive price tag. The perfect candidate for professionals in small and medium-sized businesses.