HP ProBook 450 G5 Laptop

Our Specialist view of the HP ProBook 450 G5 laptop

The Spec:

The refurb HP ProBook 450 G5 is spec’d as follows: a 15.6” HD 1366 x 768 anti-glare LED backlit screen with other key specifications including a Intel Core i5-8250U 8^th generation quad core processor, 8GB RAM that can be upgraded to 32GB and a 256GB SSD (Solid State Drive) which has Windows 11 Professional preinstalled. Along with this essential spec the 450 G5 also has wireless and LAN internet connectivity, Bluetooth and a webcam. There are also plenty of ports including USB 3.0, USB Type C, VGA and HDMI.

The Good Bits:

It’s what most people would call a full sized laptop/notebook and because of this the 450 G5 has a keyboard with separate number pad. It’s also surprisingly thin and lightweight for a traditionally full sized notebook, weighing in at a tad over 2 kilos and just over 2 cm at its thickest point. This we think is mainly due to its lack of optical drive and M.2 PCIe NVME SSD. Both of these reduce the required room inside and weight, which if you’re looking for a laptop to create and edit large documents or edit photos and videos in and out of an office or home.

The Not So Good Bits:

HP give us so much to shout about with the ProBook 450, it’s full of great spec and other features but is let down a degree by the quality of materials used to make the laptop. This leads us straight to the design aspect.

The Design:

Primarily put together using plastic and some aluminium around the hand rest, the chassis is lacking a more premium and feel. We like the colours used, especially where previous models had a bit too much silver, the G5 looks far better for the black/grey used. The single hinge doesn’t allow for the screen to fold flat, it gets about as far as 135 degrees.

Suitability:

We’d recommend this laptop to home education users because of its plentiful array of ports and larger screen. Business users could also take advantage of its full sized keyboard and separate number pad.