Following significant successes in the mobile sector with the Ryzen 4000 platform, which were then solidified by the Ryzen 5000 chips, AMD's CPUs have once again fallen into the shadow of competitors. The overwhelming majority of work laptops today are based on Intel processors — either 13th generation Core or the latest Core Ultra. The Ryzen AI 300 chips, announced just a month ago, will become equal rivals to the Core Ultra. However, even the AMD solutions that are already in mass production can be considered as alternatives to the Core 13th generation and mid-tier representatives of Core Ultra.
The MagicBook X16 Plus — a fresh model in the HONOR slim laptop series — stands out among its peers primarily due to its Ryzen 8000 central processor.
⇡#Specifications, Pricing
All configurations of the MagicBook X16 Plus come equipped with the Ryzen 7 8845HS processor, which is the second most powerful model among the 'red' SoCs of the 8000 series for mobile PCs. The flagship of the lineup, Ryzen 9 8945HS, can only offer increased clock speeds of 100–200 MHz for its core components. The Hawk Point chips, on which the mobile Ryzen 8000 line is based, are an updated version of the Phoenix silicon (i.e., Ryzen 7000). These processors are manufactured using TSMC's N4 technology as a monolithic chip. Additionally, unlike competing solutions from Intel and Apple, only the lower-end Hawk Point models utilize an asymmetric core organization. The Ryzen 7 8845HS features eight fully functional cores of the Zen 4 architecture and operates within a TDP range of 35 to 54 watts, but the creators of the MagicBook X16 Plus have limited the sustainable SoC power to 45 watts.
| Manufacturer | HONOR |
|---|---|
| Model | MagicBook X16 Plus 2024 |
| Display | 16”, 2560 × 1600, IPS |
| CPU | AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS: 8/16 cores/threads (3.8–5.1 GHz) |
| Memory | LPDDR5X SDRAM (6400 MT/s, 4 × 32 bit) 16/32 GB |
| GPU | AMD Radeon 780M (12 CU) |
| Drive | KIOXIA BG5 (PCIe 4.0 x4) 512/1024/2048 GB |
| External I/O Ports | 1 × USB4; 1 × USB 3.2 Type-C; 2 × USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A; 1 × HDMI; 1 × TRRS 3.5 mm |
| Network | IEEE 802.11ax; Bluetooth 5.1 |
| Battery Capacity, Wh | 75 |
| Weight, kg | 1,34 |
| Dimensions (L × W × H), mm | 356,2 × 250,1 × 17,9 |
| Retail price (Russia), rub. | From 74,936 (16 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD) — aliexpress.ru |
Integrated into the Ryzen 7 8845HS chip is the Radeon 780M graphics processor with 12 compute units (CUs), which contain a total of 768 shader ALUs. The RDNA 3 architecture supports DirectX 12 Ultimate features, including hardware-accelerated ray tracing. Finally, the chip includes a Ryzen AI coprocessor for processing data using neural networks.
The MagicBook X16 Plus is equipped with LPDDR5X RAM, operating at a speed of 6,400 MT/s, available in 16 or 32 GB. For storage, it uses a solid-state drive with a PCI Express 4.0 interface, ranging from 512 GB to 2 TB.
⇡#Appearance and ergonomics
The new model is built in a nearly identical chassis as the previous HONOR laptops based on 13th generation Intel processors — for example, MagicBook X 16 Pro 2024. The main chassis panels are made of aluminum alloy, with only the screen bezel and antenna cover made of plastic. The MagicBook X16 Plus features a non-touchscreen display with a matte anti-glare finish. HONOR has chosen an IPS panel for the MagicBook X16 Plus with a resolution of 2,560 × 1,600 and a refresh rate of 120 Hz.
Despite its large size, the laptop's body has high rigidity around the perimeter; however, a faint cracking sound can still be heard when twisting the lower part. It remains impossible to lift the lid with one hand without holding the top case. The MagicBook X16 Plus comes in standard color options — silver and 'gray cosmos'.
The controls of the MagicBook X16 Plus are also borrowed from related HONOR models. The keyboard with a numeric keypad has a key travel of 1.5 mm, providing a clear actuation point and quick return to neutral position. The key illumination is white, with two brightness levels. The power button integrates a fingerprint scanner. The keyboard of the MagicBook X16 Plus has just one apparent drawback, typical for most business laptops, with few (and expensive) exceptions: its base is noticeably deformed. Fortunately, the keyboard does not rattle during typing and operates quietly.
The touchpad of the MagicBook X16 Plus is large and covered with smooth glass, but again suffers from the same issue as the MagicBook X 16 Pro 2024. The panel doesn't sit tightly against the switches underneath, so an odd sound is heard in response to a light tap from a finger.
Unlike the MagicBook X 16 Pro based on Intel platforms, the X16 Plus model features an additional USB Type-C port, along with a pair of Type-A ports and one Type-C port, which will almost always be occupied by the charging cable. The set of cable interfaces is completed with a full-size HDMI output and a 3.5mm mini-jack.
The custom power supply with a detachable USB Type-C cable is rated at 65W.
⇡#Internal structure and upgrade capabilities
Although the MagicBook X 16 Pro 2024 and MagicBook X16 Plus are built on completely different platforms, the internal components of the two laptops are very similar — even down to the position of the connectors on the motherboard. The SoC crystal is also cooled by a cooler with two heat pipes and one radial fan.
The LPDDR5X RAM cannot be upgraded, but the solid-state drive can be upgraded by the user. The MagicBook X16 Plus has a free M.2 slot, which is hidden under an insulating sticker next to the already installed SSD; however, only short M.2 2242 form factor modules can fit.
⇡#Testing methodology
| Synthetic tests | |
|---|---|
| Application | Settings |
| 3DMark | Time Spy |
| CINEBENCH R23 | N/A |
| Geekbench 6.x | CPU Benchmark; GPU Benchmark: Vulkan (Windows)/Metal (macOS) |
| GFXBench 5.x | Aztec Ruins Test: Vulkan (Windows)/Metal (macOS) |
| fio 3.x | Sequential read/write, random read/write (unbuffered I/O) |
| Productivity applications | ||
|---|---|---|
| Application | Benchmark (latest version used) | Settings |
| Adobe After Effects 24.x | PugetBench for After Effects 0.96 (test composition in the link) | N/A |
| Adobe Photoshop 24.x | PugetBench for Photoshop 1.0 (test composition in the link) | N/A |
| Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic 13.x | PugetBench for Lightroom Classic 0.95 (test composition in the link) | N/A |
| Adobe Premiere Pro 24.x | PugetBench for Premiere Pro 1.0 (test composition in the link) | Standard Benchmark (4K) |
| Blender 4.x | Demo Classroom from Blender Foundation website | Cycles Renderer |
To demonstrate maximum performance, we disable VBS (Virtualisation-Based Security) and Memory Integrity (Hypervisor-protected Code Integrity) features in Windows 11.
Screen testing is performed using the X-Rite i1Display Pro Plus colorimeter in the DisplayCAL 3 application.
The laptop's battery life is measured at a display brightness of 200 nits in the following usage scenarios:
- sequentially opening and closing websites with a 25s interval in Google Chrome or Safari (cache disabled);
- continuous playback of 4K video in HEVC format.
⇡#Testing participants
The following devices participated in the testing:
| Screen | CPU | Memory | GPU | SSD | Battery | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HONOR MagicBook X16 Plus 2024 (BRI-721) | 16”, 2560 × 1600, IPS | AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS | 8/16 cores/threads (3.8–5.1 GHz) | LPDDR5X SDRAM (6400 MT/s, 4 × 32 bits) 32 GB | AMD Radeon 780M (12 CU) | System RAM | KIOXIA BG5 (PCIe 4.0 x4) 1024 GB | 75 Wh |
| Apple MacBook Pro 14″, Late 2023 (A2992) | 14.2”, 3024 × 1964, IPS Mini LED | Apple M3 Pro (11 cores) | 5 cores/threads (≤4.05 GHz) + 6 cores/threads (≤2.75 GHz) | LPDDR5 SDRAM, 6400 MT/s, 18 GB (192 bits) | Apple G16S (14 cores) | System RAM | Apple AP0512Z (Apple Fabric) 512 GB | 72.4 Wh |
| Apple MacBook Pro 16″, Late 2021 (A2485) | 16.2”, 3456 × 2234, IPS Mini LED | Apple M1 Pro (10 cores) | 8 cores/threads (≤3.2 GHz) + 2 cores/thread (≤2.1 GHz) | LPDDR5 SDRAM, 6400 MT/s, 16 GB | Apple G13X (16 cores) | System RAM | Apple AP1024R (Apple Fabric) 1024 GB | 99.6 Wh |
| HONOR MagicBook Pro 16 2024 (DRA-54) | 16”, 3072 × 1920, IPS | Intel Core Ultra 5 125H | 4/8 cores/threads (1.2–4.5 GHz) + 8/8 cores/threads (0.7–3.6 GHz) + 2/2 cores/threads (0.7–2.5 GHz) | LPDDR5X SDRAM (6400 MT/s, 4 × 32 bits) 24 GB | Intel Arc Graphics (7 Xe cores) | System RAM | YMTC PC300 (PCIe 4.0 x4) 1024 GB | 75 Wh |
| HONOR MagicBook X 16 2024 (BRN-F56) | 16”, 1920 × 1200, IPS | Intel Core i5-12450H | 4/8 cores/threads (2.0–4.4 GHz) + 4/4 cores/threads (1.5–3.3 GHz) | LPDDR4X SDRAM, 4266 MT/s, 16 GB (4 × 32 bits) | Intel UHD Graphics (48 EU) | 1 GB from system memory | YMTC PC300 (PCIe 4.0 x4) 512 GB | 42 Wh |
| HONOR MagicBook X 16 Pro 2024 (BRN-G56) | 16”, 1920 × 1200, IPS | Intel Core i5-13420H | 4/8 cores/threads (2.1–4.6 GHz) + 4/4 cores/threads (1.5–3.4 GHz) | LPDDR4X SDRAM, 4266 MT/s, 16 GB (4 × 32 bits) | Intel UHD Graphics (48 EU) | 1 GB from system memory | KIOXIA BG5 (PCIe 4.0 x4) 512 GB | 60 Wh |
| HUAWEI MateBook 14 2024 (FLMH-W5611T) | 14.2”, 2880 × 1920, OLED | Intel Core Ultra 5 125H | 4/8 cores/threads (1.2–4.5 GHz) + 8/8 cores/threads (0.7–3.6 GHz) + 2/2 cores/thread (0.7–2.5 GHz) | LPDDR5X SDRAM (6400 MT/s, 4 × 32 bits) 16 GB | Intel Arc Graphics (7 Xe cores) | System RAM | WD PC SN740 (PCIe 4.0 x4) 1024 GB | 70 Wh |
| HUAWEI MateBook D 16 2024 (MCLG-W9611) | 16”, 1920 × 1200, IPS | Intel Core i9-13900H | 6/12 cores/threads (2.6–5.4 GHz) + 8/8 cores/threads (1.9–4.1 GHz) | LPDDR4X SDRAM, 4266 MT/s, 16 GB (4 × 32 bits) | Intel Iris Xe Graphics (96 EU) | 1 GB from system memory | N/A (PCIe 4.0 x4) 1024 GB | 70 Wh |
⇡#Screen quality
The display of the MagicBook X16 Plus has a high brightness of 470 cd/m² and a contrast ratio of 1,513:1, which is average for IPS panels without local dimming.
The color gamut of the panel almost completely covers the sRGB space.
The color temperature is precisely calibrated to the standard value of 6500 K.
The gamma correction curve approximates a power function with an exponent of 2.1.
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Thanks to an excellent gray balance and nearly complete coverage of the sRGB color space, the display of the MagicBook X16 Plus has received high marks for color accuracy when reproducing relevant content.
⇡#Clock frequencies, temperature, and noise level
The MagicBook X16 Plus allows the Ryzen 7 8845HS processor to operate in two different power modes — 'smart' and high-performance. When the high-performance mode is activated, the stable power consumption of the chip reaches 45 W, the CPU cores maintain a high clock frequency of 4.1 GHz under prolonged multi-threaded load, and the frequency of the integrated Radeon 780M graphics is 2.7 GHz. Under maximum combined load on the CPU and GPU, their average clock frequencies fluctuate around 3.7 and 2 GHz, respectively.
In turn, the 'smart' mode reduces the power dedicated to the CPU to 35 W. The average frequency of the x86 cores hovers around 3.8 GHz, while the integrated GPU continues to operate at a frequency of 2.7 GHz. Under combined load, the x86 cores and Radeon 780M graphics run at frequencies of 3.4 and 1.7 GHz respectively.
Unfortunately, the MagicBook X16 Plus lacks a 65-watt power adapter to provide the Ryzen 7 8845HS chip with maximum sustained power, so when used for long periods, the laptop starts to deplete the battery charge. Additionally, we noticed that during extended tests, the chip's stable power occasionally drops to 22–25 W, although no SoC sensor indicates overheating, and at other times the laptop passes all tests without issues. We hope this is a software defect that HONOR can fix with a UEFI update.
| Clock frequencies | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cinebench (max. no. of threads) | Blender | Cinebench (max. no. of threads) + Blender | ||||||
| CPU clock frequency, MHz | GPU Clock Frequency, MHz | CPU clock frequency, MHz | GPU Clock Frequency, MHz | |||||
| Avg. | Max. | Avg. | Max. | Avg. | Max. | Avg. | Max. | |
| HONOR MagicBook X16 Plus 2024 (BRI-721) — AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS / AMD Radeon 780M (12 CU) — High Performance | 4100 | 4161 | 2700 | 2700 | 3703 | 3952 | 1960 | 2700 |
| HONOR MagicBook X16 Plus 2024 (BRI-721) — AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS / AMD Radeon 780M (12 CU) — Smart Mode | 3824 | 3871 | 2700 | 2700 | 3383 | 3753 | 1671 | 2700 |
| CPU and GPU power consumption | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cinebench (max. no. of threads) | Blender | Cinebench (max. no. of threads) + Blender | ||||||
| CPU power consumption, W | GPU power consumption (SoC overall, if integrated), W | CPU power consumption, W | GPU power consumption (if discrete), W | |||||
| Avg. | Max. | Avg. | Max. | Avg. | Max. | Avg. | Max. | |
| HONOR MagicBook X16 Plus 2024 (BRI-721) — AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS / AMD Radeon 780M (12 CU) — High Performance | 45 | 45 | 30 | 35 | 45 | 45 | N/A | N/A |
| HONOR MagicBook X16 Plus 2024 (BRI-721) — AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS / AMD Radeon 780M (12 CU) — Smart Mode | 35 | 35 | 31 | 34 | 35 | 35 | N/A | N/A |
Example. Measurement is taken after the device has warmed up and stabilized all parameters.
In high-performance mode, the SoC chip reaches a temperature of 97 °C, while the noise level of the cooling system approaches 44 dBA. The 'smart' mode reduces these figures to 83 °C and 41.2 dBA.
Finally, the top case temperature does not exceed 46 °C in the hottest spots — above the SoC chip and at the hot air outlet.
⇡#Synthetic performance tests
In the long-term multi-threaded test Cinebench R23, the Ryzen 7 8845HS chip outperformed all competitors, including Intel's Core Ultra 5 125H with 65 W power and the 11-core version of Apple M3 Pro. In single-threaded performance, the Ryzen 7 8845HS is on par with the Core Ultra 5 125H and surpasses the Apple M1 Pro, but falls short of the Core i9-13900H and M3 Pro.
According to the results of short multi-threaded tests Geekbench 6, the 'red' processor left behind the Core Ultra 5 125H and Apple M1 Pro, but fell behind the Core i9-13900H and Apple M3 Pro. In single-threaded mode, the Ryzen 7 8845HS again outpaced the Core Ultra 5 125H but cannot compete with the Core i9-13900H and even less so with the M3 Pro.
In turn, the GP-GPU benchmark within Geekbench 6 rated the integrated Radeon 780M graphics above the Intel Arc with seven Xe cores, yet the performance of the built-in GPUs of Apple processors is more than twice as high.
Synthetic gaming rendering tests, on the other hand, proved more challenging for the Radeon 780M than for Intel's next-gen graphics. Under certain conditions, the Radeon 780M even falls short against the Iris Xe GPU with a full set of execution units.
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⇡# Performance in Work Applications
In the Blender benchmark, the Ryzen 7 8845HS CPU took first place in rendering, beating the 11-core Apple M3 Pro by 4 seconds.
However, the integrated Radeon 780M graphics significantly lag behind both Apple’s solutions and the Intel Arc built-in version with seven Xe-cores.
In the Lightroom Classic test, which traditionally favors Intel CPUs, the MagicBook X16 Plus performs on par with laptops equipped with Core Ultra H category chips.
Example. Scores are calculated as a percentage of the performance of a reference workstation with an Intel Core i9-9900K, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080, and 64 GB of RAM, multiplied by 10.
Example. Scores are calculated as a percentage of the performance of a reference workstation with an Intel Core i9-9900K, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080, and 64 GB of RAM.
In terms of performance in Photoshop, the AMD processor left all 'blue' competitors behind, although it falls short compared to Apple chips, including the 10-core M1 Pro.
In the Premiere Pro benchmark, among laptops without discrete GPUs, 'MacBooks' traditionally lead, while among x86 architecture representatives, the Ryzen 7 8845HS only trails the Core Ultra 5 125H with increased power consumption of up to 65W.
Finally, the MagicBook X16 Plus configuration with 32GB of RAM completed the After Effects benchmark suite without issues and ranked first in the overall score among x86 laptops. Apple's ARM chips once again are unequivocally leading in this task.
Example. Scores are calculated as a percentage of the performance of the reference workstation featuring an Intel Core i9-11900K, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080, and 64 GB of RAM, multiplied by 10.
Example. Scores are calculated as a percentage of the performance of the reference workstation featuring an Intel Core i9-11900K, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080, and 64 GB of RAM.
⇡#SSD Performance
The test sample of the MagicBook X16 Plus is equipped with a 1TB KIOXIA BG5 solid-state drive. Unlike the same 512GB SSD, the terabyte version achieves acceptable linear write speeds, but overall performance metrics, excluding random read, still lag behind popular PCI Express 4.0 OEM solutions.
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⇡# Battery Life
In terms of battery life while browsing the web on a single charge (7.5 hours), the MagicBook X16 Plus matches similar laptops with 13th generation Intel processors or Core Ultra, but lasted less (9.5 hours) during continuous playback of HEVC video.
⇡#Conclusions
Although AMD processors are once again out of favor with laptop manufacturers, tests of the new MagicBook X16 Plus showed that the Ryzen 8000 is a competitive platform. Yes, these chips do not claim leadership in performance among mobile SoCs, but in most productivity benchmarks, the octa-core Ryzen 7 8845HS outperforms the 14-core Core i9–13900H and the Core Ultra 5 125H—the lower model in Intel's current lineup featuring a 4+8+2 core layout. Under certain conditions, the Ryzen 7 8845HS can even compete with the 11-core version of the Apple M3 Pro.
In terms of energy efficiency, the MagicBook X16 Plus offers nearly the same web browsing time as comparable laptops with Intel chips. The only disappointment with AMD's mobile silicon is the performance of the integrated GPU. While there has been progress, the Radeon 780M falls behind not only the trimmed configuration of Intel Arc but also sometimes the older Intel Iris Xe GPU, not to mention Apple's products. Additionally, we observed some oddities in the power management of the processor, which we hope can be fixed with a software update.
The MagicBook X16 Plus laptop is closely related to another HONOR model — MagicBook X 16 Pro 2024. A common weakness of both machines is the relatively slow SSD, along with some minor chassis mechanics flaws. However, in addition to the powerful 'red' processor, the Plus version boasts a wealth of advantages — a high-capacity battery, an additional USB Type-C port, a 2.5K display with a 120Hz refresh rate — and comes in configurations with up to 32GB of RAM and 2TB of storage.
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Source: 3dnews.ru
