Huawei Matebook D14 Review – A Great All-Around Laptop!

We previously unboxed and gave our first impressions of the Huawei Matebook D14. We found it to be a very stellar laptop for the first few days. Today, we’re going to review it and talk about how it performs and what it can deliver. A while back, we paid special attention to its size and compactness, doing away with the superfluous design. But how does it perform? Today we find out!

For more images of the device you can check out our unboxing of the Huawei D14 here.

The left side of the Matebook D14 houses the 2 USB ports and an HDMI port.

The right side of has the 3.5mm audio jack and another USB 3.0 port.

One thing you would notice is that the Huawei Matebook is incredibly thin. The minimalist design removes the colors and the other non-essentials that are often found in laptops that try to cater to everything. It also sacrifices several ports like an SD Card reader and an RJ-45 port for wired connection. But with having only what you need, the D14 becomes a very mobile, light, and easy-to-carry machine.

Huawei Matebook D14 – System Specifications & Dimensions

Hardware

Display, Screen Size, Resolution

Physical Dimensions

*Check the full specs on the product page here.

2 Versions Exist: Ryzen 5 & Ryzen 7

The Huawei Matebook D14 has two variants available here in the Philippines: the Ryzen 5 and Ryzen 7 version. Both sport Ryzen 3000 series processors and integrated graphics. Another key difference is the size of the PCIE SSD, the Ryzen 5 has 256GB while the Ryzen 7 has 512GB.

What we have now is the Ryzen 7 3700U model.

Huawei Matebook D14 Review – Performance

Gaming Performance

For the gaming benchmarks, we used presets that would allow the user to somewhat experience that an acceptable framerate without tinkering too much. Note that the laptop was set to maximum performance during these tests.

We also deemed it best to remove CS:GO from the benchmark list as that thing can run on almost anything. We instead used the more recent F2P FPS, Valorant, as its replacement benchmark title.

On a side note, you can check our review of Valorant here.

720 Low Is The Standard Here

As this is not a gaming machine, it does not house enough firepower to run games at their best settings. However, it is surprising that an integrated GPU like the Vega 10 can still run most modern games at an acceptable 30 FPS. You do have to lower your resolution to 720p and set the overall graphics quality to the lowest as possible. Even so, this is impressive as the system itself only has 1GB of RAM for graphics, leaving only 7GB of usable RAM for the system.

This proves that while not marketed as a gaming laptop, the the Huawei Matebook D14 is still capable of running current titles. This makes it something to consider if you’re looking to play after work or study. Just note that most of the games that are assured to run smoothly are ones that cater to a wide audience i.e. Dota 2, CSGO, Valorant, etc.

Synthetic Benchmarks

These benchmarks are meant to measure the device’s performance relative to other people’s machine. We plugged in a mix of CPU & GPU-intensive tests and other ones that measure the performance of both at the same time.

The numbers below will be quantified into an easy to read chart once we have compiled results from previous reviews. Please do check them out after some time.

3DMark Firestrike Extreme

3DMark Fire Strike Extreme is designed for multi-GPU systems and future hardware generations. In addition to raising the rendering resolution, additional visual quality improvements increase the rendering load to ensure accurate performance measurements for truly extreme hardware setups.

3DMark Time Spy

3DMark Time Spy is a DirectX 12 benchmark test for Windows 10 gaming PCs. Time Spy is one of the first DirectX 12 apps to be built the right way from the ground up to fully realize the performance gains that the new API offers.

Cinebench (Release 20)

Benchmark Score: 1535

Cinebench leverages the same powerful 3D engine found in the award-winning animation software Cinema 4D Release 20 to accurately evaluate CPU rendering performance capabilities across various systems and platforms.

Novabench

Novabench is a free benchmark tool that allows you to see your computer’s overall performance. Its tests CPU, GPU, RAM, and Storage speeds, and gives you an aggregate score that you can use for comparison with other similar setups.

PassMark

PassMark measures CPU, 2D & 3D GPU, Memory, and Disk speeds. Similar to Novabench, it gives you an aggregate score, giving you an idea on how your PC performs and how it ranks when compared to other computers around the world.

Unigine Superposition

Extreme performance and stability test for PC hardware: video card, power supply, cooling system.

Huawei Matebook D14 Review – Verdict & Final Thoughts

The Good – Incredible Main Device

We tried using the D14 as a personal daily driver for the past few weeks, and we can say that we are pleased with it. Marketed as a device for students and professionals, this device definitely caters to the needs of both. Its compact shape makes it very mobile and light, making it incredibly easy to move around with it. As soon as we can move freely again, we’re more than likely to bring our work / study devices out. Having a light all-in-one work laptop like this one can prove to be a wise investment in the near future.

The hardware is also worth-noting. The Ryzen 7 3700U and the SSD provide instantaneous responsiveness. It also boots up nice and fast thanks to its adequately sized SSD, perfect for snappy presentations and meetings. The chiclet keyboard also makes it easier to type for long durations with its good feedback and feel.

Also note that for its price, this laptop is one of the best you can buy. Although it is carrying a somewhat dated processor, it is still undoubtedly one of the best mobile processors in the market. The Ryzen 3700U also carries a pretty decent integrated chip. The Radeon RX Vega 10 is powerful enough to run even the latest games. Complimenting it are two 2W speakers, that despite the Matebook D14’s size, is more than enough to deliver clear and crisp sound across a modestly sized room.

Good Temps & Charger Compatibility

Another thing to point out is its temperature control. We’ve tried using it on our lap (like it’s meant to be used) while running hardware intensive games such as Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. Often times we get scalded and deafened by the experience, but in this case, the Huawei D14 surprisingly proved to be a warm and silent buddy.

One thing we liked about the D14 is that you can charge it with anything as long as you have a decent cable. You can use a power bank to give it some juice during long meetings or projects. You can even make use of phone chargers if you have a compatible one!

Things To Improve

This might sound nitpicking, but there are several things that we feel could be improved with the Huawei D14. One of which is the short charging cable length. We found ourselves having to conform to the laptop instead of it conforming to our position. Another one is the lack of USB-C ports. There’s just one of it.

However, the above nitpicks can be remedied with third-party tools. Need a lengthier USB cable? Buy a longer one that supports the rating of the D14’s charger. More USB ports? Buy a USB hub. The shortcomings were probably brought forth by the laptop aspiring to host only the bare essentials whilst maintaining a very simple design. These things are great to have, but the lack is not necessarily a dealbreaker.

Huawei Matebook D14 Review – Final Verdict

If you’re looking for a laptop for work and study, with a bit of binge-watching and playing at the side, then consider the Huawei Matebook D14. It is a very robust and clean device that’ll often be mistaken to be thrice its value. It is very light, very versatile, and you can charge it with almost anything as long as you have a USB-C cable. Plus, if you have a Huawei smartphone, you can easily partner your phone with it and have an easy to use Huawei ecosystem. All in all, a classy device that’s affordable and feels premium. Truly worthy of Hungrygeek’s 100% approval.

Huawei Matebook D14’s Models & Pricing In The Philippines

In the Philippines, the Matebook D14 Ryzen 7 SKU is priced at PhP 42,990. The Ryzen 5 variant is priced at PhP 39,990.

Get this now as you’ll be getting freebies with the device. Huawei Philippines is currently having a promo, bundling a Huawei Backpack and a Huawei B311 Router when you buy a D14. You can check out the promo here.

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Franklin Garcia

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