HP’s ZBook Studio G9 isn’t a laptop for everyone. Its starting price is 2285 €, but by opting for high-end features, you can quickly increase the bill. The computer can ship a 12th generation Intel Core i9 H-series processor, up to 1TB of SSD storage and a GeForce RTX 3070 Ti graphics card.
Everything is contained in a relatively portable envelope offering good autonomy. So is the Book Studio G9 the perfect companion for creative users?
See the ZBook Studio G9 on the HP site
Design and features
At first glance, the HP ZBook Studio G9 looks pretty basic. It’s a chunky and relatively heavy laptop, measuring 35.6cm wide by 24.2cm deep and 1.9cm thick. The machine weighs 1.73 kg on the scale.
The 16-inch screen is surrounded by small bezels and displays an aspect ratio of 16:10. According to our calculations, the screen occupies 86% of the front panel. There are several configurations available with more or less RAM and storage and an i9 processor if needed. It is even possible to add a GeForce 3060 or 3070 Ti graphics card.
On all models, however, the webcam is limited to 720 p. That’s disappointing for a high-end laptop. While there’s infrared support, enabling facial authentication via Windows Hello, we’d have preferred a 1080p resolution.
A good audio setup has become increasingly important for laptops of all types. On this point, the ZBook Studio G9 does not disappoint. The computer is equipped with large grilles on each side of the keyboard through which the Bang & Olufsen speakers (two tweeters and two woofers) deliver their sounds. Audio quality is reasonably rich, with no distortion, even when pushed to maximum volume (which is quite high). There’s enough bass for rock music to be enjoyable, and a good mix of tones for classical music. Voices are also crisp and clear.
Keyboard and touchpad
The keyboard keys are large and comfortable, with even a row of dedicated media keys. The key travel is short, with little resistance on the way down and lots of bounce. The typing is somewhat noisy, which can be annoying for people in close proximity. While it offers a reasonably comfortable typing experience, it’s not the most comfortable keyboard I’ve used. That said, keyboard preferences vary, so this is just a personal opinion.
Image: Sandra Vogel
The touchpad is large, with a glass surface smooth to the touch, and very responsive to the slightest gestures. A fingerprint sensor sits on the palm rest, below the keyboard. Many laptop manufacturers integrate the fingerprint sensor into a power button on the keyboard. It is therefore strange to see a sensor in this place, but it remains perfectly usable.
Performance
There are several options available: on the processor side, you can opt for a Core i7-12700H or a Core i9-12900H. 16 or 32 GB of RAM are available and SSD storage can range from 512 GB to 1 TB. And, as you would expect on this type of machine, a wide choice of graphics card is available, all from Nvidia . It is possible to choose the RTX A1000 (4 GB), the RTX A2000 (8 GB), the GeForce RTX 3060 (6 GB) or the GeForce RTX 3070 Ti (8 GB).
My test unit had a Core i7-12700H processor, 16GB of RAM, 512GB of SSD storage, and an Nvidia RTX A1000 GPU with 4GB of dedicated video memory. It scored 1715 (single-core) and 10746 (multi-core) on Geekbench 5, while the Geekbench 5 Compute GPU benchmark clocked in at 48784. For comparison, a high-end Core i9-13900K processor scores around 3,000 (single-core) and 23,000 (multi-core), while a high-end Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090 Ti GPU climbs to 229,738 on Geekbench 5.
Ports and connectors
There’s a good selection of ports and connectors, including a MicroSD card slot, a USB-C port and USB-A ports, a pair of Thunderbolt 4 ports, a 3.5mm headphone jack and a USB port. feed. The presence of the latter means that the three USB-C ports are always accessible. If you need HDMI jacks or Ethernet support, you’ll need an adapter.
Image: Sandra Vogel
The HP ZBook Studio G9 has an 86 Wh battery. It lost 30% of its charge during a three-hour work session that included writing in web apps, web browsing, and streaming content. This suggests a total battery life of around 10 hours with moderate workloads. I let the battery drain down to 21% and then started charging it. After 45 minutes on the mains, the battery was up to 74%.
It is therefore possible to work a whole day on the battery if you are careful. However, you will have to be patient in terms of recharging.
Advantages and disadvantages
Advantage
- 16 inch 16:10 screen
- Multiple configurations
- Good selection of ports
- Good speakers
Disadvantages
Conclusion
HP’s ZBook Studio G9 is a well-built, configurable 16-inch mobile workstation, but chasing high-end specs can be very expensive.
The audio setup and range of ports impress, but the 720p webcam is disappointing. The autonomy is good for a powerful laptop, but the latter will necessarily vary according to your use.
HP ZBook Studio G9 16″ – Best prices:
Amazon Marketplace3170.95
Features
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BONE : Windows 10 Pro -
Processor : Intel Core i7-12800H, Core i9-12900H -
Chart :RTX A1000 (4GB GDDR6) — RTX A2000 — RTX 3060 (6GB) — RTX 3070 Ti (8GB). -
RAM : up to 32 GB DDR5-4800 -
Memory slots : 2x SODIMMs -
Storage : NVMe M.2 PCIe Gen4 x4 SSD from 512 GB to 1 TB -
Screen : 16″ WUXGA (1920 x 1200), IPS, narrow bezel, anti-glare, low blue light, 400 nits, low power, 100% sRGB -
Ports : left side: power connector, 3.5mm headphone/microphone combo, 2x Thunderbolt 4 / USB 4 (40Gbps, USB Power Delivery, DisplayPort 1.4, HP Sleep and Charge) – right side: USB-A (5Gbps, charging ), USB-C (10Gbps, USB Power Delivery, DisplayPort 1.4) -
Pitches : MicroSD card reader -
Wireless : Wi-Fi 6E (2.4GHz, 5GHz, 6GHz 802.11ax) -
Bluetooth : 5.2 -
Audio : Bang & Olufsen loudspeakers (2x tweeters, 2x woofers), dual microphones, function keys for volume, microphone/headphone jack. -
webcam : 720p IR webcam -
Software provided : Bing Search Engine for IE11, HP Hotkey Support, HP Noise Cancellation Software, HP Performance Advisor, HP Support Assistant, Native Miracast Support, HP Connection Optimizer, HP Privacy Settings, HP QuickDrop, Battery Data science software, HP Easy Clean, HP PC Hardware Diagnostics, HP ZCentral Remote Boost 2020 software for HP Z Workstation, Tile app, Windows 10 Cloud Recovery Client, 1 month Adobe free trial, HP Z Light Space, HP Camera and Super Resolution software -
Security : Absolute Persistence Module, HP Device Access Manager, HP Power-on Authentication, Trusted Platform Module (TPM 2.0) Embedded Security Chip, Master Boot Record Security, Pre-Boot Authentication, Windows Defender, HP Embedded Management Module Manageability Integration Kit, HP BIOSphere Gen6, HP Sure Start Gen6, HP Sure Admin, HP Image, Assistant, HP Tamper Lock, MS BitLocker Encryption, Nano Anti-Theft Device Slot, HP Client Security Manager Gen7, HP Privacy Key -
Fingerprint reader : yes -
Battery capacity : 86Wh -
AC adapter : HP Slim Smart 150W / 200W -
Loading time : ~50% in 30 minutes -
Dimensions : non-contact: 35.6 cm x 24.2 cm x 1.9 cm -
Weight : from 1.73 kg -
Price : from 2885 €
Alternatives
Source: “ZDNet.com”