CHUWI Herobook 14.1 inch Windows 10 Intel Atom X5-E8000

CHUWI Herobook 14.1 inch Windows 10 Intel Atom X5-E8000

CHUWI Herobook 14.1 inch Windows 10 Intel Atom X5-E8000

Chinese laptop manufacturer CHUWI puts out some impressive budget laptops — including the LapBook 12.3, Hi13, and LapBook 14.1 — but none of these that we've reviewed has hit the rock-bottom price of  that the HeroBook 14.1 commands. I used this laptop for about a week, and I admit I didn't start out with very high hopes. While some of my worries were founded, the HeroBook is undoubtedly still a steal at this price, and it's a device I think I'll continue using for general productivity work.



Bottom line: The HeroBook lacks some common features we've grown accustomed to, but for  it's a great way to get your hands on a 14-inch notebook for general productivity work.

Pros
Very attractive price
Huge Precision touchpad
1080p IPS display
All-day battery life
Solid design

Cons
Slow eMMC storage
Display has some light bleed
802.11n Wi-Fi (no 5GHz)
No keyboard backlight
CHUWI supplied Windows Central with a review unit of the HeroBook 14.1 with an Intel Atom x5-E8000, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of eMMC storage. There's only one configuration available, and it costs $200. No, that's not a typo.

OS	Windows 10 Home
Processor	Intel Atom x5-E8000 Four cores Up to 2.0 GHz
RAM	4GB DDR3 RAM
Graphics	Intel HD 400
Storage	64GB eMMC
Display	14.1 inches 1920x1080 (FHD) IPS, matte, non-touch
Ports	Two USB-A 3.0 Micro HDMI MicroSD reader 3.5mm audio
Audio	Four internal speakers
Wireless	Realtek RTL8723B 802.11n Bluetooth enabled
Camera	Front-facing 0.3MP
Keyboard	No backlight
Touchpad	Precision
Battery	38 Wh
Dimensions	13.07 inches x 8.42 inches x 0.83 inches (332mm x 214mm x 21.3mm)
Weight	3.2 pounds (1.48kg)

The CHUWI HeroBook 14.1 gives a great first impression. It has a silver chassis that might be mistaken for an aluminum alloy — it's, in reality, some sort of plastic — and a simple logo emblazoned on the corner of the lid. The laptop is thin, it has a compact footprint, and though it weighs more than a lot of other similarly sized laptops, it's not heavy enough to become uncomfortable when you're on the move.


A single hinge runs along the majority of the back edge, and it allows for the lid to be opened with one hand, a feature generally only seen on premium devices. The lid spreads back to about 110 degrees, revealing the enormous touchpad and wide keyboard that runs from side to side. There's a bit of venting along the inside edge where the hinge is set, but there are no fans in this laptop. It runs quiet and stays cool thanks to a CPU with a low thermal design point (TDP).


CHUWI's HeroBook is a great way to add a 14-inch notebook to your arsenal on the cheap.

When flipping the laptop over, you'll see two small holes on either side that must be for the speakers, though it's hard to tell where exactly sound is coming from. Audio will allow you to hear whatever it is you're watching or playing, but a lot of the time I resorted to headphones as the sound is hollow and a tad tinny at higher volumes.

A 3.5mm audio jack on the right side is joined by a microSD card reader (expandable up to 128GB) and a USB-A 3.0 port. On the left side is another USB-A 3.0, a barrel AC charging hookup, and Mini HDMI. Inclusion of USB-C would have pushed this laptop over the top, but in any case, the selection provides enough for a couple of external accessories without the need for an expansion hub. Since the laptop ships with just 64GB of eMMC storage, the microSD card reader is a convenient bridge until you add an M.2 SATA solid-state drive (SSD) through the easy-access panel in the bottom of the laptop.

Above the display is a front-facing 0.3MP webcam for video conferencing and stills. It's understandably not going to offer a high-definition picture, but it gets the job done if you don't have anything else around. No IR camera or fingerprint reader for Windows Hello is included here, which is no surprise because of the going price.

Overall the HeroBook 14.1 could easily be mistaken for a laptop that costs far more than . Its edges are clean, and there aren't any plastic burrs, the hinge is smooth and allows the lid to be opened with one hand, and it's relatively thin for easy portability. For most people, it won't be the appearance of the laptop that keeps them away.
CHUWI HeroBook 14.1 display


Displays in budget laptops usually get the worst of the quality cuts, but the HeroBook's 14.1-inch non-touch display really doesn't disappoint. It has a 1920x1080 (FHD) resolution, the bezel isn't noticeably large and is balanced, and it has a matte finish that does a great job of cutting down on glare when working in well-lit spaces. It likewise has an IPS panel for excellent viewing angles.

Coming from reviewing some pro-grade ThinkPad workstations, color and contrast seemed a bit dull, but only compared to a laptop that costs thousands. After a day of use, going back and forth to the HeroBook from my regular Ultrabook didn't seem like much of a change. It gets bright enough for most usage scenarios other than outdoors on a sunny day, and the non-touch aspect helps up battery life. I did see a bit of light bleed along the bottom edge of the display while it was booting up with a black screen, but it's not noticeable thereafter.

I tested color reproduction with a Spyder 5 Pro and got back 65 percent sRGB and 49 percent AdobeRGB, both results at the low end of the spectrum. For general productivity work, which the internal hardware is also geared for, the display won't disappoint.
CHUWI HeroBook 14.1 keyboard and touchpad


One of the first things I noticed on the HeroBook was the enormous touchpad that takes up a lot of the space below the keyboard. CHUWI has gone with Precision drivers, and altogether it provides an enjoyable pointing experience. There's about a half-inch along the top of the touchpad and a small area in the middle where you can't physically click — it's hinged somewhere in there — but the rest is good to go. It tracks well, it's easy to perform all Windows 10 gestures thanks to the size, and it's smooth to touch.

The keyboard stretches from edge to edge, providing plenty of room for large keys with ample spacing between and comfortable travel. I typed a lot of words, and once I was used to the size, I had no issues other than the clack of the keys is a bit noisy in an otherwise quiet room. There's no backlight for working in the dark, and the blue Fn labels are hard to see in dim light, but otherwise, it's a decent keyboard even for those who type many words per day. A small addition is a number pad doubling up on the right-side keys, which can be accessed with the Fn key.
CHUWI HeroBook 14.1 performance and battery


The HeroBook has a 5W Intel Atom x5-E8000 CPU with a max clock of 2.0GHz and 4GB of RAM. It's not going to fare well with intensive work, and gaming isn't an option, though it treated me well for relatively heavy web browsing with apps running in the background.

Thanks to the low-wattage CPU, battery life is phenomenal despite coming in at 38 Wh. With a full charge — it doesn't take long to get back to full when plugged in thanks to fast-charge capabilities — I saw between nine and ten hours of general use at about 60 percent screen brightness and a balanced power plan. You should be able to leave for the day and not worry about toting along with the AC adapter, although it is small and easy to tuck away in a backpack or messenger.

A sticky point for me is the eMMC storage, which is quite slow and fills up fast. With Windows 10 and some benchmarking software installed, there's only 22GB left to use for my files and apps. Luckily, the microSD card reader can boost storage up to about 128GB, providing a relatively cheap way to pad space. There's also a panel on the bottom of the laptop that provides quick access to an M.2 SATA SSD slot for further expansion. Considering the starting price, you can add a quality SSD and still be ahead in savings compared to a lot of other 14-inch notebooks out there.

Another thing to note is the Realtek network adapter, which is 802.11n. There's no 5GHz radio option here, which might be a problem for those who are used to the superior speeds. Using the laptop for a week, I didn't notice any dropped signals and I got great reception even far from my router, so at least the 2.4GHz radio is solid.








CHUWI's HeroBook is a great way to add a 14-inch notebook to your arsenal on the cheap, but only if you don't need strong performance and are comfortable adding more storage after purchase. There are some corners cut to keep the price down, like no keyboard backlight, no 5GHz Wi-Fi option, some light bleed in the display, and slow and small eMMC storage, but overall it's a reliable laptop for general productivity work.


3.5 out of 5

The 1080p IPS display doesn't have great color reproduction, but it has a matte finish that cuts down on glare. The touchpad is enormous, and the keyboard is excellent for long days of typing, and battery life should last a full day without needing a charge. And then there's the price. Considering all this is available for $200, the cons are a lot easier to live with. Even if you figure in the cost of adding some extra storage, you're still getting a lot of laptop for your money.

Case


The chassis is nearly identical to the two-year old LapBook Air 14.1 and so many of our comments on the LapBook Air 14.1 apply here. Both the plastic lid and base are more flexible than most flagship Ultrabooks including the XPS 13, Spectre 13, and ZenBook series. When compared to other budget or mid-range models like the Asus VivoBook or HP Pavilion, however, the Chuwi HeroBook feels on par in terms of rigidity. Moderate bending or twisting will cause slight but audible creaking.

Hinge rigidity is not uniform as it becomes weaker at wider angles. Nonetheless, teetering is not an issue when typing.


Size and weight are not all that different from other 14-inch laptops despite costing much less. Even so, the system is slightly thicker than many of the alternatives listed below including the LapBook Air 14.1.

Connectivity


Available ports are limited and even dated. Our configuration includes no USB Type-C and it still relies on a proprietary AC adapter for charging in contrast to the latest Ultrabooks in the market. Meanwhile, owners will have to invest in a mini HDMI cable or adapter as the Herobook does not integrate the more common full-size HDMI port. Port positioning is otherwise excellent and evenly distributed along both sides of the laptop.

SD Card Reader


Transfer rates from the spring-loaded MicroSD card reader are slow. Moving 1 GB of images from our UHS-II test card to desktop takes about 49 seconds compared to just 6 or 7 seconds on the XPS 13.

A fully inserted card sits flush against the edge of the system for safe transporting.

Communication


WLAN is limited to 802.11n with integrated Bluetooth 4.0 for slower speeds by more than a factor of 10 when compared to most Ultrabooks. Nonetheless, we experienced no connectivity issues when browsing or streaming 1080p video.

Maintenance


The bottom panel is secured by 14 Philips screws with four of them hidden underneath the rubber feet. Though the plastic panel is easy to remove, it certainly takes some patience. The only upgradeable component is the M.2 slot for secondary storage. The primary SSD, RAM, and WLAN are all soldered onto the board.

While much of the space inside is empty, we can appreciate the metal plating around the battery to improve rigidity.

Accessories and Warranty



The standard one-year limited warranty applies. Since the Chuwi service center is overseas, users in U.S. or Europe may have to pay for international shipping if repairs are required.

Note that a sticker must be broken in order to remove the bottom panel which may impact the manufacturer warranty. Thankfully, the M.2 slot is accessible without needing to tear the sticker.

Input Devices

Keyboard and Touchpad

Key clatter is moderately loud with firm feedback and shallow travel when pressed. At the same time, however, the keys can also feel spongy towards the center because the keyboard surface flexes easily. Pushing down on a key towards the center visibly depresses the surface surrounding it compared to the more rigid keyboard bases of most other Ultrabooks. It takes some getting used to if coming from a desktop keyboard.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, there is no keyboard backlighting option. Still, we appreciate the fact that the keys are large including the Arrow keys that are often reduced in size on most other netbooks.

The clickpad (12.5 x 8 cm) is surprisingly large considering the small screen size and even larger than the clickpad on the Dell XPS 15 (10.5 x 8.5 cm). Cursor control is responsive with no jumping as one would expect. Glide is good when moving a finger across the smooth surface at medium to fast speeds, but the finger tends to stick when moving at slow speeds. The integrated mouse keys offer shallow travel, firm feedback, and a satisfying audible click when pressed.


4G DDR3L Ram and 64G EMMC ROM

RAM offers you a high-impact gaming experience, ensures smooth operation and stable multitasking Kardia Mobile ECG for Apple & Android devices . Using feeling 64G EMMC Storage Capacity Provides room to store pictures, videos, music and more. 128GB TF Card Expansion and independent M.2 SSD expansion slot support 1TB SSD expansion!

14 Inch 1920 x 1080 FHD IPS Screen

14.1 inch FHD Screen Offering good experience for watching videos and browsing the Web. The 1920 x 1080 resolution screen boasts impressive high-quality images. Display Ratio: 16:9 Ultral Slim Bezel, Perfect Display

Hard-Decoding 4K video

CHUWI Herobook support 4K and H.265 HD decoding,offers 4k * 2k output with 100Mbps cable network which provides you higher definition viewing and fluent video playing.

CHUWI Herobook 14.1 inch Windows 10 Intel Atom X5-E8000

CHUWI Herobook 14.1 inch Windows 10 Intel Atom X5-E8000

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