The HP Dragonfly Professional is a strong however fairly priced premium laptop computer aimed toward freelancers. It’s additionally probably the greatest laptops I’ve ever used.
Design
The place the unique Elite Dragonfly felt prefer it got here from an alternate universe through which the EliteBook 1030 was colourful and manufactured from magnesium as an alternative of being a boring slab of silver aluminum, at present’s Dragonfly portfolio is extra expansive and addresses a broader swatch of the market. And that portfolio has solely gotten larger with the Dragonfly Professional and its comparable ChromeOS-based sibling, the Dragonfly Professional Chromebook.
The 2 Execs sit on the backside of the Dragonfly product household from a pricing perspective, however they provide a premium feel and appear with a magnesium and aluminum alloy chassis that may be had in both Ceramic White or Glowing Black. The overview unit arrived within the former, however each colours stand out properly within the sea of silver and grey laptops on the market today.
The Dragonfly Professional additionally feels nice to the contact, and it is without doubt one of the stiffest laptops I’ve utilized in latest reminiscence, with no flex in any respect within the base and little or no within the show lid. It’s fairly skinny at simply 0.72 inches, and whereas it’s a little bit bit heavy at 3.5 kilos, that’s all concerning the high quality of the development.
Show
You will get any show you need with the HP Dragonfly Professional so long as it’s a Full HD+ (1920 x 1200) IPS multitouch panel with a perfect 16:10 side ratio that outputs 400 nits of brightness. I discovered it to be an ideal selection for each productiveness work and leisure, with vibrant colours, inky blacks, and wonderful distinction, and I believe that this show selection contributes to the Dragonfly Professional’s stellar battery life numbers. However a better decision improve can be good for individuals who want it.
The bezels are small throughout, particularly on the edges, with an 86.5 p.c display screen to physique ratio. And in an uncommon however enjoyable Home windows 11-friendly contact, the corners of the show are artificially curved to match the platform’s person interface and the curved corners of the {hardware}. Properly completed, HP.
The show doesn’t lie flat. Oddly, it’s not even shut.
Inside parts
The Dragonfly Professional is powered by an 8-core AMD Ryzen 7736U cellular processor with built-in AMD Radeon Graphics, 16 or 32 GB of quick LPDDR5 RAM, and 512 GB or 1 TB of PCIe NVMe SSD storage. And whereas none of that will appear notably uncommon, it’s the mixture of that {hardware} with the distinctive software program within the PC that makes it so particular.
First, take into account AMD’s method to chipset design. In contrast to Intel, which is within the midst of a moderately frantic shift to an Arm-like hybrid structure with particular massive (“Efficiency”) and little (“Environment friendly”) core layouts, AMD has to date taken a unique tact the place all the cores in its chipsets could be optimized for efficiency or effectivity on the fly. Likewise, the Ryzen 7736U within the Dragonfly Professional could be configured to devour between 15 and 28 watts at any time, relying on the necessity. However a comparable Intel Core i7-1360P chipset usually runs at 28 watts, with a minimal of 20 watts, however its cores are all hard-coded for particular features. (And the AMD chipset can be a 6 nm half, in comparison with 10 nm for Intel.)
To optimize efficiency and battery life for this distinctive structure, HP labored with AMD to override the default energy administration performance in Home windows. That’s, as an alternative of manually configured Balanced, Excessive Efficiency, and Energy Saver modes that put the onus of optimization on the person, HP merely ignores these settings and optimizes efficiency and energy consumption for you in real-time. The precedence right here is responsiveness, HP says: once you want extra energy to perform a particular process, the system allocates precisely the correct quantity of efficiency to perform it, and for simply so long as is important.
And … it really works. The Dragonfly Professional carried out splendidly whether or not I used to be engaged in my customary productiveness duties or pushing issues a bit tougher with Visible Studio 2022 code compilation or Adobe Premiere Components video modifying and rendering. Nearly as good, the system is at all times silent or practically so, and it’s at all times cool to the contact regardless. Mixed with the epic battery life famous beneath, the outcomes communicate for themselves: this can be a PC that in some way manages to be each performant and environment friendly always. It makes one marvel why Intel is losing its time—and introducing potential reliability points—by making an attempt to imitate Arm.
The one draw back to this method, and it’s a minor one, is that Home windows 11 doesn’t but enable HP and different PC makers to utterly customise its energy administration person interfaces. So you will notice an HP-optimized profile alongside the same old Home windows choices, and although energy customers could also be tempted to twiddle with the settings, these modifications will merely be ignored. Sooner or later, Home windows will enable for this sort of customization, rendering this minor nit moot.
Connectivity
Connectivity is as trendy because it will get with Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2, however there’s no mobile knowledge choice.
Ports and enlargement
The Dragonfly Professional’s enlargement capabilities are trendy and minimalistic, with a curious format through which there are two USB-C ports on the left and just one on the best. In the excellent news division, two of these USB-C ports, one on all sides, present Thunderbolt 4/USB4 capabilities (40 Gbps knowledge switch, energy supply, DisplayPort 1.4, and HP Quick Cost).
However the second USB-C port on the left is a SuperSpeed USB 3.2 port (10 Gbps knowledge switch with HP Quick Cost).
And … I’m largely OK with this, and although I’ll voice the apparent criticism concerning the lack of legacy USB-A and HDMI ports, I believe that HP is relying on its prospects to be largely younger and hip sufficient to not care.
Audio and video
For audio output, the Dragonfly Professional gives 4 audio system, two upward-firing and two downward, in stereo and tuned by Bang & Olufsen. There’s no Dolby Atmos, sadly, and it took me some time to determine that audio configuration happens by way of the myHP app. However the audio is vibrant, crisp, loud, and distortion-free, even on the highest volumes, with terrific stereo separation in each music and film content material. This is without doubt one of the best-sounding speaker programs I’ve ever skilled on a laptop computer.
In your hybrid assembly wants, the Dragonfly Professional presents background noise elimination from the audio system, background noise discount from the microphone array, and a high-quality 5 MP net digicam backed by a collection of HP Enhanced Digital camera options like auto framing, backlight and low mild enhancements, look filters, background blur and substitute, and extra. It’s a terrific setup that ought to meet nearly any communications want.
Be aware, nevertheless, that there’s no combo headphone/microphone jack, so you will need to both use the built-in microphones and audio system or flip to USB-C or wi-fi headphones or earbuds.
Keyboard and touchpad
HP has lengthy made the most effective laptop computer keyboards—sorry, Lenovo—and that pattern continues with the Dragonfly Professional’s terrific full-sized and backlit keyboard.
It’s nearly excellent, with brief, snappy key throws, in truth, however is let considerably let down by a weird column of sq. particular perform keys on the best, every of which launches the myHP app to carry out, properly, some particular perform. These are described within the Software program part beneath, however I don’t like that solely certainly one of them could be configured and would like conventional House, PgUP, PgDn, and Finish keys there as an alternative. So shut, HP, so shut.
The haptic touchpad is likewise wonderful, and I’d by no means have suspected this wasn’t mechanical if HP hadn’t instructed me. It’s medium-sized, not too small and never too massive, and extremely correct, although I did disable three- and four-finger gestures to enhance reliability, however then I at all times try this.
Safety and privateness
The Dragonfly Professional presents Home windows Hiya facial and fingerprint recognition, the popular configuration, and when you want the previous, you may pace up the method properly by enabling presence sensing within the Settings app in order that the PC wakes up once you method it. (You possibly can likewise have it flip off the show once you depart.) The Dragonfly Professional’s keyboard additionally has devoted keys toggling the microphone and the digicam, which I very a lot want as properly.
Sustainability
HP used quite a lot of recycled supplies to create the Dragonfly Professional, together with 35 p.c post-consumer recycled plastic within the show bezel, 90 p.c reclaimed aluminum within the keyboard body and keyboard base, 50 p.c reclaimed aluminum within the outer show lid, and 50 p.c post-consumer recycled plastic within the keycaps and speaker field. The outer packaging and corrugated cushions are one hundred pc sustainably sourced and recyclable, and the Dragonfly Professional is EPEAT Gold and ENERGY STAR licensed.
Portability
The HP Dragonfly Professional is a bit heavy at 3.5 kilos, however I loved touring with it and was impressed by its longevity: in over two months of day by day real-world utilization, I noticed a mean of 10 hours and 45 minutes of battery life per cost. That’s spectacular.
It may be fast-charged to 50 p.c in simply half-hour utilizing the bundled 96-watt energy adapter, which is a novel design with a wall mount. I just like the minimalism of it, but it surely is likely to be a good match with some receptacles.
Software program
The HP Dragonfly Professional ships with Home windows 11 House and a crapware-free assortment of 6 HP-branded utilities plus AMD Software program: Adrenaline Version for customizing the graphics show. However one of many major promoting factors of this machine is its {hardware} and software program integration by which 4 particular keys in a column on the best aspect of the keyboard are used for one-click entry to particular options like launching the myHP app, accessing 24/7 Professional Reside Assist (additionally in myHP), adjusting the digicam settings (additionally within the myHP app), and a user-programmable key that may be configured to launch a number of functions, web sites, recordsdata, and/or folders. (And, sure, you configure that in, look forward to it, the myHP app.)
Given my sloppy typing expertise, you gained’t be stunned to find that I inadvertently launched the myHP app dozens and dozens of occasions throughout the overview interval. However it’s price noting that Dragonfly Professional prospects get one 12 months of free 24/7 Professional Reside Assist that features stay help with educated HP assist employees by way of voice or chat along with a digital assistant, hyperlinks for person manuals and guides, a digital restore middle to examine on machine restore standing, guarantee, the product assist middle, and extra. The thought right here is that freelancers don’t have entry to the sorts of assist employees that data employees inside an organization do, and so this service is meant to make up for it.
The free 12 months is clearly a great deal, however Dragonfly Professional patrons may prolong assist for as much as 36 months at $10.99 monthly, and this Subscription Care Pack brings with it unintended injury safety with well timed repairs or machine substitute with one incident each 12 months for a complete of as much as 3 over the 36 months. Which will appear costly, however the roughly $400 it might price over three years would pay for itself when you ever wanted to interchange the laptop computer. It’s optionally available, in fact.
Pricing and configurations
Whereas the Professional moniker suggests a dearer product line, the Dragonfly Professional prices a number of hundred {dollars} lower than different laptops within the household just like the Elite Dragonfly and the Dragonfly Folio. It’s out there in two colours—Glowing Black and Ceramic White—each of which could be had in two configurations, 16 GB of RAM with 512 GB of storage for $1399 and 32 GB of RAM with 1 TB of storage for $1549. That’s it. And God love HP for drawing a line on what looks as if an infinite variety of configurations for a lot of PC fashions.
Suggestions and conclusions
Each infrequently, a PC comes by way of my residence that causes this jaded, long-time reviewer to sit down up and take discover. The HP Dragonfly Professional is such a PC, and it appears nearly purposefully designed and configured for my actual wants. I’ve no drawback writing opinions for merchandise that aren’t precisely what I would like, however this HP was so proper, so excellent, that I began to doubt my skill to be goal about it. That’s, I perceive the apparent complaints that one may render right here, however with uncommon exception—I’d a lot moderately see customary House, PgUp, PgDn, and Finish keys the place these particular perform keys are, for instance—I simply don’t care. I really like this factor.
However stepping outdoors my very own wants for a second, I’ll say this. Sure, the Dragonfly Professional is a bit heavy for a 14-inch laptop computer, sure, I do suppose there needs to be a better decision show choice, and, positive, a 3 USB-C port configuration is a little bit odd. However no matter: you simply don’t see this sort of efficiency and uptime collectively in a PC, interval. And with a welcome help from AMD, HP has achieved what I believed was unimaginable with regard to efficiency and battery life.
Even the Ceramic White shade of the overview unit defied my expertise and expectations: I’d by no means purchase a white laptop computer, and I had assumed that this factor can be marred by scuffs and smudges by now. However after two months of heavy utilization, together with a three-week journey to Mexico Metropolis, it has not been dulled or sullied in any noticeable approach. I’d moderately have the Glowing Black model, positive, however Ceramic White has held up admirably.
The HP Dragonfly Professional isn’t simply extremely beneficial, it’s probably the greatest laptops I’ve ever laid my fingers on. And when the time comes later this 12 months for me to improve, I’ll be shopping for one for myself. In Glowing Black, in fact.
At-a-glance
Execs
- Premium feel and appear
- Wonderful efficiency
- Epic battery life
- Presents each facial and fingerprint recognition
- Terrific hybrid work options
- Spectacular audio
Cons
- Pointless particular perform keys
- Unusual port configuration