HP is rolling out the 6th generation of the ProBook 445 and 455, which will feature the latest AMD Ryzen chips and a full aluminum chassis all at an affordable price starting price targeted to growing business owners.
The HP ProBook 445 G6 and ProBook 455 G6 are slated to launch sometime in January and start at $549.
HP ProBook 445 G6, ProBook 455 G6: Specs and Price
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | HP ProBook 445 G6 | HP ProBook 455 G6 |
| Starting Price | $549 | $549 |
| Display | 14-inch, 1366 x 768 (220 nits, 67 percent sRGB) 1920 x 1080, (220 nits, 67 percent sRGB) | 15.6-inch, 1366 x 768 (220 nits, 67 percent sRGB) 1920 x 1080, (220 nits, 67 percent sRGB) |
| CPU | AMD Ryzen 3 2200U APU, Ryzen 5 2500U APU, Ryzen 7 PRO 2700U APU | |
| RAM | Up to 16GB | |
| Graphics | Radeon Vega 3, Radeon Vega 8, Radeon RX Vega 10 | |
| Storage | Up to 512GB SSD | |
| Ports | Two USB 3.1, one USB Type-C, one USB 2.0, RJ-45, HDMI 1.4, headphone jack, SD card slot | |
| Size | 12.76 x 9.36 x 0.71 inches | 14.37 x 10.11 x 0.75 inches |
| Weight | 3.53 pounds | 4.41 pounds |
Both the ProBook 445 and 455 can rock up to an AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 2700U APU processor with Radeon RX Vega 10 graphics, 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD.
HP's new ProBooks are refreshingly slim at 0.71 - 0.75 inches thin, and present a neat, compact design. While it was slightly disappointing to not see HP's slash logo (as the company typically saves that for its premium line-up), I'm impressed that both laptops sport aluminum chassis for a low starting price. On top of that, the newest ProBooks passed MIL-STD 810G standard testing so you can put this thing through all sorts of torment.
Unfortunately, both the 14-inch and 15.6-inch models start with a 1366 x 768 panel, which HP claims to emit 220 nits of brightness and cover 67 percent of the sRGB spectrum (we consider anything around 300 nits and over 100 percent sRGB to be good). The max you can configure the display is up to 1920 x 1080, but you're stuck with the same poor brightness and color, according to HP. Not to mention, the bezels are on the thick side. But, at the very least, there's a pair of top firing speakers just above the keyboard.
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HP is using its usual spill-resistant keyboard on the ProBook 445 and 455, which looks neat and well-spaced. Hopefully, it feels as good as it looks.
The ProBook 445 and 455 feature two USB 3.1 ports, one USB Type-C port, one USB 2.0 port, an RJ-45 port, an HDMI 1.4 port, a headphone jack and an SD card slot. HP also claims that the ProBook 445 can last up to 11 hours and 30 minutes on a charge, while the ProBook 455 can last up to 11 hours -- both of which would impressive to see in action.
Stay tuned to the full review and benchmarks once we get HP's latest business notebooks through our lab.
