We ran the following performance-based benchmark tests:

• Cinebench R23
• PugetBench for DaVinci Resolve
• PugetBench for Premiere Pro
• SPECviewperf^® 2020
• Procyon Video Editing Benchmark
• PassMark PerformanceTest 11
• 3DMark^® Fire Strike
• 3DMark Fire Strike Extreme
• 3DMark Time Spy
• 3DMark Time Spy Extreme
• Unigine Superposition Extreme

To test battery life and efficiency, we ran MobileMark 2018 and MobileMark 25 benchmarks twice—once in “best performance” power mode and again in “best power efficiency” power mode. For our surface temperature tests, we ran a sustained CPU-intensive Cinebench R23 workload for 50 minutes, taking keyboard and bottom hot spot temperature readings every 10 minutes.

The benchmark scores and battery life results we report reflect the specific configurations we tested. Any difference in the configurations you test, as well as screen brightness, network traffic, or software additions, can affect these results. For a deeper dive into our testing parameters and procedures, see the science behind the report.

Performance benchmark results: Keep productivity flowing, even during intensive work

Equipped with powerful capabilities, mobile workstations thrive under taxing workloads. Our hands-on testing indicates how well systems can handle tasks such as multimedia editing, 3D modeling, graphics rendering, data analysis, and more.

Whether you’re working under a tight deadline or multi-tasking to stay ahead of the curve, a device that helps complete work faster, offers longer battery life, and remains cool can enable better productivity.

Complete editing and rendering work faster

We used a variety of graphics- and video-editing-based benchmarks to measure system performance. The Cinebench R23 benchmark measures system performance by completing common Cinema 4D tasks that tax multiple CPU cores and modern processor features.⁴ The PugetBench for DaVinci Resolve benchmark measures rendering with different codecs and OpenFX, along with Fusion performance.⁵ Similarly, PugetBench for Premiere Pro focuses on encoding, processing, and GPU effects performance.⁶ SPECviewperf^® 2020 uses multiple workloads that represent “actual workstation-class applications” to measure 3D graphics performance using both OpenGL and DirectX interfaces.⁷ Finally, the Procyon Video Editing Benchmark also uses Premiere Pro, and says it ensures that “the benchmark score reflects the real-world performance of the whole system.”⁸ PassMark PerformanceTest gathers CPU, disk, memory, and 2D/3D graphics performance metrics and combines these to create a single, overall score—the bigger the score rating, the faster the device.⁹

Rise to the occasion of demanding workloads

We also put the systems to the test with game-based benchmarks. The 3DMark Fire Strike benchmark stresses the CPU and GPU to gauge how well systems handle real-time graphics, while Fire Strike Extreme tests multi-GPU systems with a more intensive rendering workload.¹⁰ 3DMark Time Spy is “the ideal test for benchmarking the latest graphics cards,” and Time Spy Extreme is “an ideal benchmark test for the latest high-end graphics cards,” with a redesigned CPU test optimized for processors with eight or more cores.¹¹ Additionally, we ran the Unigine Superposition Extreme benchmark—which tests the performance and stability of system’s video card, power supply, and cooling¹²—with both OpenGL and DirectX 11 graphics APIs. While both types have “become fundamental to game development over the last couple of decades,” OpenGL deals with 2D and 3D graphics, and DirectX includes APIs for graphics, audio, networking, and more.¹³

Note: The graphs in this section use different x-axis scales to keep to a consistent size. Please be mindful of each graph’s data range as you compare.

Battery life and efficiency results: Extend your productivity, not your power cord

Some users may enjoy the consistency of working from the same place day in and day out, but others need a change of scenery to spark their creativity or maintain their focus. And with busy schedules and business travel, some hybrid and remote workers may not have the option to work from a the same place every day. Instead, these digital nomads deftly check items off their to-do lists from coworking spaces, train stations, passenger seats, and more.

Whether your workforce travels the globe or across town, a device that can power a workday—or more, depending on when creativity strikes—can minimize interruptions such as startling battery warnings or searching for an outlet. We tested the HP and Dell workstations in different configurations with two benchmarks designed to stress systems’ battery life. The first, MobileMark 2018, measures battery life and performance at the same time. Using real applications, workloads, and data sets, it quantifies how overall system performance affects the user experience.¹⁴ The second benchmark, MobileMark 25, puts devices through scenarios based on the real-world applications and activities business users encounter every day.¹⁵

For more information on the test devices, our screen brightness (nit) choices, and testing parameters and procedures, see the science behind the report.

Thermal testing results: Staying cool (and productive) under pressure

The work you do on your mobile workstation demands a lot—both from you and from your device. While benchmarking human performance is a bit beyond the scope of this study, we can offer a look at the performance of HP and Dell workstations during intense workloads. When workstation processors are working hard, they can put out a lot of heat. This can result in some discomfort for a user—or even drops in system performance.

Running the Cinebench R23 benchmark several times consecutively to strain the systems, we saw that the HP ZBook Power G10 A Mobile Workstation PC delivered a 24.9 percent higher performance score. And it did so while staying cooler than the Dell Precision 3581 Workstation on both the top and bottom hot spots we measured.