Huawei MateBook D 16 2024 is an efficient laptop with a powerful processor. One was missing [TEST]

The difficulties that Huawei has been facing in the smartphone market for several years have caused the company to also look for its place in other niches. One of them is laptops with Windows. And it must be admitted that the Chinese are doing quite well in this area, and the MateBook D series is the best example of this. Above all, it offers excellent value for money.

Over the last few weeks, I had the opportunity to test the new Huawei MateBook D 16 2024 ultrabook and I must admit that it met almost all of my expectations. This is efficient equipment at a very decent price that will appeal to even more demanding users. However, there were also a few disappointments.

A PLUS: Proven design

Huawei Mate Book D 16 looks very stylish and elegant. The manufacturer focused on a proven and minimalist design, which has been the hallmark of this series for several years. The cover and the lower part of the laptop casing are made of aluminum, while the frame around the screen and keyboard and the hinge itself are made of plastic. All plastic elements imitate metal very well, but I must admit that I was hoping that the entire structure would be made of more durable aluminum.

However, it is difficult to have any reservations about the quality of the hinge itself. It supports the structure well and allows us to open the device cover up to 180 degrees. The tested laptop is also very light. It weighs only 1.72 kg, and we are dealing with a 16-inch screen.

Just above the keyboard there is a laptop switch, which has been integrated with a fingerprint reader. It works flawlessly and allows you to quickly and easily log in to Windows 11. It’s a pity that the built-in camera for video calls is not compatible with the Windows Hello function.

MINUS: Only one USB-C port

The tested laptop was equipped with a USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 port, a USB-A 2.0 port, one USB-C connector, HDMI and a 3.5 mm audio headphone output. I must admit that the presence of only one USB-C port is a disappointment. I will say more, in 2024 this is an unacceptable situation. Especially since USB-C also serves as a charging port here. This means that when the MateBook is connected to the power supply, we do not have even a single USB-C port at our disposal. One solution to this problem will be to buy an adapter or docking station.

A PLUS: Large display with nice colors…

The new MateBook D 16 has a high-quality 16-inch IPS display with Full HD resolution (1920 × 1080). The undoubted advantages of this screen are the 16:10 aspect ratio, which works well when working on two windows, and good viewing angles (up to 178 degrees).

As befits an IPS matrix, this screen also offers excellent color reproduction, with coverage of the sRGB palette at a level close to 100%. However, the maximum brightness of the matrix is ​​not impressive, which according to the manufacturer’s declaration is 300 nits. In reality it is higher, but at the same time uneven. Tests have shown that in the upper part of the screen it reaches ~350 nits, in the central point – ~330 nits, and in the lower part – ~315 nits.

ON MINUS: …but without 120 Hz refreshment

It is also disappointing that the tested laptop only offers a standard screen refresh rate of 60 Hz. Especially since displays with refresh rates of 90 and 120 Hz are slowly becoming the market standard. This is another compromise that distinguishes the MateBook D 16 from ultrabooks from the highest price shelf.

ON THE PLUS: Intel Core i9-13900H is a performance beast

When it comes to the performance of the new MateBook, there are no compromises here. The model I received for testing has a 14-core Intel Core i9-13900H processor. This system offers six Performance cores and eight Efficient cores. The maximum clock in Intel Turbo Boost Max 3.0 mode reaches up to 5.4 GHz (P cores) and up to 4.1 GHz (E cores).

We also have 16 GB of fast LPDDR5 RAM and a 1 TB PCIe SSD. All this translates into phenomenal performance both in synthetic tests and during everyday use of the device.

In the Cinebench 2024 test, the laptop scored 116 points in single-core mode (beating units with M1 Max systems!) and 717 points in multi-core mode. This equipment will cope perfectly not only with typical office work, but also with photo and video processing, although it is worth adding that during rendering the laptop fans can be heard in the neighboring housing estate.

MINUS: No additional graphics card

Unfortunately, I have the impression, bordering on certainty, that the 9-13900H system is not able to show its full potential here anyway. The bottleneck in this configuration turns out to be the average integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics chip, which significantly limits the capabilities of the tested device in both 3D applications and video games.

MateBook D 16 is definitely not equipment for gamers. While it can handle older titles from five or six years ago decently, new titles, such as Baldur’s Gate 3, are too demanding for it, and achieving 30 frames per second is only possible if we significantly lower the level of detail.

It is a pity that Huawei did not decide to add a non-integrated graphics system, e.g. the slightly older, but still very efficient NVIDIA GeForce 30XX series models. The tested equipment would thus gain much wider capabilities.

PLUS: Keyboard, touchpad and sound

The keyboard, however, is in a class of its own. Everything is correct here. There is backlighting, a large stroke and the appropriate spacing of the keys. My favorite keyboard from the MacBook Pro has just gained a worthy rival – typing on the MateBook D 16 is simply a pleasure.

The trackpad is not so good. Its size is appropriate, but it does not always respond to our gestures as it should. As a result, I reached for the mouse quite quickly. In this respect, MacBooks are still the unrivaled model for Windows laptops.

Huawei MateBook D 16 has two built-in stereo speakers, the outlets of which are placed in the base of the laptop. It may not be the best audio system I’ve ever encountered, but it does its job well. The sound is clear and – in most situations – loud enough.

PLUS: Good battery life

The battery is also good. In balanced mode, the battery allows for approximately eight hours of operation on a single charge, which is a decent result considering the size of the screen and the fact that we are dealing with a quite energy-hungry Intel i9 system. In the box with the laptop you will find a 65 W charger that will allow you to charge the MateBook from 0 to 100 percent. in 90 minutes.

SUMMARY

The latest Huawei MateBook D 16 2024 is undoubtedly one of the best laptops ever produced by a Chinese manufacturer. It is stylish and elegant, offers phenomenal performance and at the same time excellent value for money. For the variant with the i9-13900H system, 16 GB RAM and a 1 TB SSD drive, we will pay PLN 4,999.

It would be close to perfect if it weren’t for two drawbacks. The first is the lack of an additional GPU. Personally, I would pay even several hundred zlotys more for the variant with NVIDIA GeForce graphics. The second serious shortcoming is only one USB-C port. This does not change the fact that the tested laptop is definitely worth its price. Anyone who can find a laptop with an Intel i9 processor in a similar price range is a winner.