TOP 5 rugged laptops

Despite belonging to the fashionable ultrabook Modern series, the MSI 15 B12M model is a classic office laptop with a democratic price tag, decent hardware for its price and modest functionality. The latter are limited to a wireless receiver with Wi-Fi 6, a backlit keyboard, a card reader and a shockproof case. This model has a standard unremarkable IPS-matrix with Full HD resolution, standard brightness, uniform backlight, standard refresh rate of 60 Hz. The screen is purely for work, people who are used to watching the conditional Avengers in 4K with Dolby Vision will be disappointed.

From a technical point of view, it is clear that the MSI Modern 15 B12M is not built for some kind of feat. Rather, it's an all-around everyday laptop that'll be good, but not perfect, in a variety of scenarios - doing a little spreadsheet work, editing text, finishing a presentation, watching the new season of The Amazing Miss Maisel, or playing something simple with your online buddies. The role of the processor here is a modern Core i5 1235U with 10 physical cores. It is complemented by 8 GB of RAM with an operating frequency of 3200 MHz, a capacious 512 GB SSD and an integrated Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs graphics card in the processor. In our opinion, the only drawback of the iron configuration is the soldered RAM slot, due to which the laptop will forever remain with 8 GB of RAM. However, slightly more expensive laptop modifications with 16 GB on board are on sale.

Typically, stories about office laptops end with conclusions in the spirit of “not bad, but they didn’t finish here.” In the case of the MSI Modern 15 B12M, the designers made a mistake with the case materials. In photos, the black matte plastic looks presentable, but in reality it is extremely easily soiled, which makes the laptop look like a fingerprint scanner. It also scratches easily and collects dust. We suspect that in a month of active use it may lose its presentation. However, in the price range up to $600, there are no jambs, you always have to put up with something. But the case is shockproof - with the protection class MIL-STD-810.

In mid-2022, Taiwanese manufacturer Asus has seriously updated its Vivobook Pro lineup, introducing 2 interesting innovations in the form of an OLED screen and ASUS Antibacterial Guard. This is a special silver ion coating on the case, keyboard and touchpad that has a 99% success rate in inhibiting the growth of bacteria within a 24-hour period after using the laptop. But alas, nothing will come of telling about OLED screens, since our version has a classic mid-range IPS screen with a resolution of 1080p, modest color reproduction (45% NTSC), a basic brightness margin of 250 cd / m², but with an increase to 144 Hz refresh rate. For work and play, its capabilities are quite enough, but the overall impression is not as bright as from OLED.

Otherwise, the Vivobook Pro 15 has some pretty interesting hardware that stands out from other entry-level and mid-range workhorses. Especially for many hours of typing, Asus engineers developed the ErgoSense keyboard with concave keycaps, extended key travel, low tactile feedback and backlighting. The laptop has a large touchpad and good stereo speakers from Harman Kardon. The webcam provides high-quality sound and image transmission (1080p resolution), and if necessary, it can be closed with a shutter. The fingerprint scanner will help keep user data safe. The TPM module is useful for authentication on a production network. Rugged, impact-resistant housing with metal base is MIL-STD-810 certified. And all kinds of ports for memory cards, USB devices and external monitors are scattered around the perimeter of the case. It is a pity that HDMI is only version 1.4, and half of the ports are USB 2.0 class.

Despite the democratic cost, the laptop boasts a rather interesting and balanced filling. System performance is provided by a nimble Ryzen 7 5800H with 16 virtual cores, 16 MB cache and auto overclocking up to 4.4 MHz. For models costing around $1000, this is an excellent processor. The same can be said about the SSD-drive (capacity 1024 GB), which runs on the third-generation bus and operates at speeds up to 2500 MB / s. 16 GB of DDR4 RAM gives the system the necessary acceleration and has a margin of safety against the challenges of future years. Well, modest in its capabilities, the GeForce MX550 video card is useful for not particularly demanding online games or hits of the past.

The Lenovo ThinkPad E15 Gen 4 is a well-protected mid-range laptop with a MIL-STD-810-class chassis, thoughtful ergonomics, old-school design, and the ThinkPad-branded red trackpoint that can be used as an alternative to the mouse and touchpad. With a well-balanced hardware, it can be a good choice for students, office workers, coders, copywriters and anyone who needs a reliable and powerful laptop for everyday work.

The laptop is equipped with an Intel Core i5-1235U processor (10 cores, 12 threads, turbo boost up to 4.4 GHz) and an Intel Iris G7 80EUs graphics card. It also has 16GB of DDR4 RAM and a really fast 512GB PCI-E 4.0 class NVMe SSD. The configuration is quite cheerful, so it clicks through the usual casual and office tasks with extraordinary ease. Only some specialized softwares, like the latest version of Bitwig with a dozen running Diva synthesizers, begin to strain it. The 15.6-inch IPS display belongs to the middle class and gets a four with a minus for fast color reproduction (45% NTSC) and standard 60 Hz. But it has a good margin of brightness, excellent anti-glare coating and built-in filters to reduce backlight flicker and blue glow.

By tradition for the ThinkPad series, the case turned out to be strong, it looks strictly and rudely. It also has an extremely comfortable island-style keyboard with slightly concave keys that are a pleasure to work with. For printing in the dark there is a single-color backlight. But the built-in speakers could be better. And I was a little confused by the Wi-Fi receiver, which sometimes lost connection. Perhaps this is a problem with a specific model or drivers, but still keep this in mind if you choose a similar model. Otherwise, this is a great armor-piercing mid-range laptop with a long-lasting battery (up to 16 hours on a single charge), USB4 ports with Thunderbolt, fast charging, an excellent Full HD webcam and serious security tools (fingerprint scanner, Face ID, TPM, anti-theft lock and webcam switch).

The Asus TUF Dash F15 is the step-sibling of the popular Asus TUF Gaming shockproof gaming laptop with more powerful hardware, advanced hardware, updated design and chassis, borrowed from the flagship Asus ROG Zephyrus laptops. Thus, Asus decided to take the best of both worlds by creating a versatile laptop that will be equally useful for gamers and creative industry workers - artists, designers, VFX artists, etc. The idea turned out to be so successful that in just 2 years of the existence of the TUF Dash series, it managed to earn several Oscars from leading IT publications and design bureaus.

The case of the TUF Dash F15, inspired by ROG Zephyrus laptops, is made of matte plastic, and although the material of the cover is questionable, it is assumed that this is painted metal or a good imitation of it. The case is made on a solid five and is not afraid of accidental shocks and damage, which is confirmed by the military-industrial certificate MIL-STD. In addition, it can be easily disassembled, which allows you to install a second RAM module or an additional M.2 SSD yourself. The proprietary cooling system, consisting of several heat pipes and a pair of fans, deserves a solid five, successfully coping with the cooling of a powerful 10-core Core i7 12650H processor and one of the most powerful third-generation Ampere mobile graphics cards - GeForce RTX 3070. Noticeable problems with heating appear only during a long game of conditional Forspoken or Last Of Us, in which the developers forgot about optimization. However, they manage to bring elite gaming PCs to their knees, so the yardstick is not the best.

The TUF Dash F15 has a good, but still not ideal 15.6-inch screen for displaying images. It is based on an IPS-matrix with Full HD resolution, has limited color reproduction (63% sRGB), but supports a refresh rate of 144 Hz, which is especially important for dynamic games. Plus, the laptop has an extremely comfortable gaming keyboard with backlight and a dedicated Num-block, the built-in audio card is Dolby Atmos friendly, and on board there is a Wi-Fi 6 module and several modern USB ports with support for fast charging and the ability to connect external monitors. Compared to the first generation TUF Dash models, the test sample was finally equipped with a webcam, bringing the laptop closer to the ideal. Although, the cost has increased, so the epithet “ideal” is not entirely appropriate.

The EliteBook 800 is a mid/high end ultrabook designed for the corporate and business environment. In most respects, it leaves the ProBook series models behind, however, in some details it is still inferior to the more expensive EliteBook 1000 models. The main feature of the series is an extremely light, thin and durable solid aluminium body, serious tools for keeping user data safe and many useful things. like fast charging, which simplify the user experience. This time we got our hands on the 2022 version of the 800-series, equipped with a Core i5 processor, 16 GB of RAM and a 512 GB NVMe SSD. This is a standard combination for this level, so we will not focus on it.

When unpacked, the HP EliteBook 840 G8 immediately grabs attention. The silver chassis weighs only 1.32 kg, the thickness of the case is 18 mm, and the design itself is clearly borrowed from the EliteBook 1000 models. When you try to press it, it does not play at all and does not curve, only the center of the display lid is slightly squeezed, but there is hardly anything you can do about it . I was also pleased that HP designers thought not only about beauty, but also about convenience, so they generously scattered 4 USB ports (2 USB 3.2 gen1 + 2 USB4) and HDMI v 2.0b output along the case, allowing the user to connect up to 3 external monitors. The HP EliteBook 840 G8 also has a pretty nice backlit, spill-resistant keyboard and a slightly taut Lenovo ThinkPad-style touchpad. The only thing is that it does not have a Num-block, and the arrows are not located in the most convenient way.

When discussing the EliteBook 800 line, it's hard not to touch on the subject of the display. The HP test model has a visually pleasing IPS screen with high brightness, contrast, natural colors and a built-in light sensor. It's a pity that the refresh rate is only 60 Hz, and the resolution does not rise above 1080p if necessary. Speaking of other advantages of this laptop, one cannot fail to note almost 16 hours of battery life, the presence of fast charging, good branded acoustics and almost all relevant safety measures, including anti-phishing software, an internal UEFI / BIOS check system before launch, a fingerprint scanner, Face ID , anti-theft lock, etc.