HP Star Book Pro 14/16: The Best Choice for a Lightweight, AI-Powered Laptop during Double 12/Double Christmas Shopping Festivals

HP Star Book Pro 14/16: The Best Choice for a Lightweight, AI-Powered Laptop during Double 12/Double Christmas Shopping FestivalsBy the time you're reading this, the annual Double 12 shopping spree has begun! As the last major shopping event of the year, Double 12 perfectly merges with the Double Christmas promotions, fueling the year-end shopping enthusiasm. I've even noticed a doubling in product recommendation requests in my inbox

HP Star Book Pro 14/16: The Best Choice for a Lightweight, AI-Powered Laptop during Double 12/Double Christmas Shopping Festivals

By the time you're reading this, the annual Double 12 shopping spree has begun! As the last major shopping event of the year, Double 12 perfectly merges with the Double Christmas promotions, fueling the year-end shopping enthusiasm. I've even noticed a doubling in product recommendation requests in my inbox. Many readers have commented, asking: "Xiao Lei, when will you release your year-end XXX recommendations?" Among the many product categories readers requested, besides smartphones, lightweight laptops essential for students and office workers ranked second. With a new batch of freshmen graduating, many seniors starting internships, and the deadline for government subsidies approaching, choosing the right product to recommend was challenging

First, the price must be reasonable. The most popular price range is around 5000-6000 yuan. Second, it must be lightweight and portable for carrying to classes, business trips, and commutes. Third, performance can't be compromised; it needs stable performance for daily office work and entertainment, along with AI capabilities. Finally, a premium metal build and excellent after-sales service are essential for a high-end look and feel and a guaranteed user experience. After careful consideration, I've reached a simple conclusion: Buy HP! My analysis shows that HP's Star Book Pro 14/16, released this year, is the most suitable AI-powered lightweight laptop for students and office workers. These two laptops are highly competitive among similar lightweight models, and with government subsidies, they offer the powerful AI performance of Intel Core Ultra processors, exceptional build quality, and stunning screen visuals for around 4000 yuan. Let's delve deeper into this product. Students and office workers considering purchasing a lightweight laptop during Double 12 or Double Christmas should read carefully, as this review aims to assist your purchase decision.

I. Stunning Design: Lightweight, Stylish, and Premium

Let's start with the appearance. As products within the same series and target market, the HP Star Book Pro 14 and Star Book Pro 16 share nearly identical materials, design, and craftsmanship, differing only in size. Therefore, I'll primarily focus on the more common Star Book Pro 14.

The HP Star Book Pro 14 maintains a lightweight and stylish design, featuring a three-sided metal body with a unibody construction. Our review unit is in Moonlight Silver, combining a metallic finish with a fine matte texture that resists fingerprints and offers a smooth touch. Besides Moonlight Silver, it's also available in Rose Pink and Night Blue, appealing to younger users. HP also uses a well-received minimalist logo on the A-side, enhancing the overall premium feel.

Even more impressive is its weight and size. Weighing just 1.44kg and measuring only 17.5mm thick, even female office workers can easily lift it with one hand. It's thinner than a textbook, making it exceptionally portable. The Star Book Pro 16 weighs approximately 1.89kg and is 17.7mm thick, still relatively easy for daily commutes. Based on feedback from female colleagues, the portability is excellent, a point I wholeheartedly believe.

Opening the laptop reveals a 14-inch OLED screen with a 2.8K resolution, 90Hz refresh rate, 100% DCI-P3 color gamut, 10-bit color depth, 1.07 billion colors, and a peak brightness of 500 nits. Whether it's for entertainment or image editing, the experience is outstanding. The 16:10 aspect ratio, compared to the traditional 16:9, is closer to the golden ratio, reducing scrolling and improving efficiency when browsing or working with documents.

The low-saturation matte keyboard not only supports three levels of backlighting but also offers an excellent typing experience. The moderate key travel and large key spacing make typing clean and comfortable, eliminating the need for an external keyboard. If you need a numeric keypad, the Star Book Pro 16 is a better option; its 16-inch screen provides a wider viewing area, and the 2.5K high-definition IPS panel enhances precision for creators who require detailed control.

Despite being a thin and light laptop, the Star Book Pro 14 boasts a rich selection of ports. The left side features a high-speed USB-A (3.2 Gen 1) port and a 3.5mm headphone/microphone combo jack. The right side includes a USB-C (3.2 Gen 2) port, a USB-A (3.2 Gen 2) port, an HDMI 2.1 TMDS port, and a Thunderbolt 4 port. This impressive port selection allows for connecting a charger, mouse, keyboard, headphones, and external monitor simultaneously, leaving one USB-C port free for a mobile hard drive or card reader, eliminating the need for a dock.

Surprisingly, both models pack a large 68Wh battery into their slim bodies, easily lasting a full workday. Say goodbye to battery anxiety!

II. Powerful Performance: AI-Powered, High Efficiency

Lightweight design is one aspect; performance is key to being a true all-rounder. The HP Star Book Pro 14 doesn't sacrifice performance for thinness, featuring the Intel Core Ultra 7 processor (i7-155H) at its highest configuration. The Core Ultra processor has an AI core. Its 6P+8E+2LPE design allows for 16 cores and 22 threads, with up to 24MB of intelligent cache and a maximum power output of 45W. The Ultra 7 155H is manufactured using TSMC's advanced N5 process, along with Intel's 4th-generation process and 3D high-performance hybrid architecture. The P-core + E-core + LPE-core configuration allows for both high-performance multi-core operation and energy-efficient low-power modes.

In Cinebench R23 benchmark tests, it scored 1725 in single-core performance and 16611 in multi-core performance. As an Intel Evo flagship AI ultra-performance laptop, compared to the previous generation with the i7-13700H, the multi-core performance of the HP Star Book Pro 14 is approximately 18% higher. Paired with 32GB of LPDDR5X 7467MHz high-frequency RAM, it easily handles various light workloads. Daily office tasks, running multiple Office suites and applications simultaneously, dozens of open web pages, research, creating presentations, writing papers, processing spreadsheets, and photo editing in Photoshop are all handled smoothly.

On the GPU side, the Ultra 7 155H boasts a new ARC core GPU, offering up to double the graphics performance and support for ray tracing and XeSS super sampling. In 3DMark tests, the TimeSpy graphics score is close to 40 million, and the Night Raid score exceeds 41,000, comparable to mainstream dedicated GPUs of the past, even capable of running some larger games. Online games like League of Legends run smoothly, with fluid gameplay.

III. AI Empowerment: HP XiaoWei 5.0, Efficient and Convenient

The HP Star Book Pro 14 and Star Book Pro 16 also feature a dedicated AI assistant HP XiaoWei 5.0. XiaoWei integrates a suite of AI-related functions, including efficiency tools, smart meetings, computer management, and a life assistant. The updated 5.0 version boasts a cleaner UI. Without opening the main interface, you can start new conversations, access the AI assistant, and access quick tools from a new mini-panel, making it more convenient.

Encountering something you don't understand while researching, and struggling to find reliable answers online? Now you can use XiaoWei's screen-based word recognition function. While browsing any document or webpage, simply click to directly jump to relevant information pages. Additionally, I tested XiaoWei 5.0, and some models support offline voice control. If you're just watching a movie, for example, during dinner, XiaoWei can free your hands, allowing you to control music and video playback via voice commands. You can even use voice commands to access daily news, weather, etc. Alternatively, using the AI XiaoWei computer manager can answer computer-related questions, such as changing wallpapers or installing and activating Office, providing quick and accurate solutions even offline, significantly improving interaction efficiency. You can even customize your preferred voice, showcasing attention to detail!

In my opinion, XiaoWei 5.0 makes the HP Star Book Pro 14 and Star Book Pro 16 truly AI PCs, enhancing the overall user experience.

IV. Conclusion: An Excellent All-Round Lightweight Laptop

In conclusion, these two laptops offer a sleek design, stylish color options suitable for most users; top-of-the-line Ultra 7 155H processor with impeccable performance; an outstanding display suitable for various tasks; rich port selection; and a large 68Wh battery significantly improving battery life.

In short, the