By Brady Betzel

HP has been at the forefront of computer workstations that target M&E for multiple decades. To keep up with the high-pressure workloads, HP offers enterprise-level workstations with components that will run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. And if they don’t, HP will replace the parts and/or system fast — the 24/7/265 uptime is what makes “workstations” unique when compared to off-the-shelf, consumer-grade computer systems.

To ensure the smoothest experience while using apps, HP tests many of today’s pro applications from ISVs (independent software vendors) — from Autodesk to Avid — with its workstations. The HP ZBook Fury 16 G10 is a mobile workstation that combines power and portability without sacrificing either.

The HP ZBook Fury 16 G10 that I was sent to review includes the following specs:

• CPU: Intel Core i9-13950HX (up to 5.5 GHz with Intel Turbo Boost technology, 36MB L3 cache, 24 cores, 32 threads)
• Nvidia pro-grade graphics: RTX 5000 Ada GPU
• Display: 16-inch DreamColor QHD (3840×2400), WUXGA (1920 x 1200), IPS, anti-glare, 400 nits, 100% sRGB
• RAM: 64 GB RAM – two DIMMs at 5600MHz DDR5 (four total DIMM slots)
• Storage: 1TB SSD

In the latest HP ZBook Fury 16 G10, there are quite a few updates. Besides speed/hardware improvements, the most interesting updates include the full-size RGB keyboard with 10 keys. I am a sucker for a 10-key. When I was trying to pay for my own car as a teenager, I worked at Best Buy fixing computers and eventually installing car stereos. One of the things I learned from that job was getting fast at using a 10-key number pad. You know how that helped me in editing? Timecode input. So I love that HP includes the 10-key pad even on a mobile workstation.

The next impressive feature is the RGB backlit keyboard. Sure, you can use it just to show off some fancy rainbow effects, but you can also tie the RGB lights to specific applications, like Adobe’s Premiere Pro and After Effects. To adjust the RGB colors, you need to open an inconveniently titled app called Z Light Space. I would have preferred for HP to have called the app “HP RGB Keyboard” or something easily searchable, but what can you do? The keyboard is fully customizable and comes preloaded with apps like Premiere and After Effects. The default Premiere layout has keys such as “j, k and l” labeled in a nice teal color.

Physically, the HP ZBook Fury 16 G10 is thick. The keyboard feels like it sits an inch above the desk. Even so, it isn’t uncomfortable. The dimensions are 14.29 inches by 9.87 inches by 1.13 inches, and it weighs just over 5lbs. The power supply is large and kind of cumbersome, although it delivers a hefty 230W. I really wish workstation laptops would come with streamlined power supplies… maybe one day. HP includes a one-year parts/labor warranty (not on-site unless you pay extra).

Around the outside of the workstation, there are a lot of useful ports:

• Right side:
  • one RJ-45
  • one headphone/microphone combo
  • one SuperSpeed USB Type-A 5Gbps signaling rate (charging)
  • one SuperSpeed USB Type-A 5Gbps signaling rate

• Left side:
  • one power connector
  • two Thunderbolt 4 with USB4 Type-C 40Gbps signaling rate (USB Power Delivery, DisplayPort 1.4, HP Sleep and Charge)
  • one HDMI 2.1
  • one Mini DisplayPort 1.4a

Now on to really what matters… Does the HP ZBook Fury 16 G10 really chew through media in Blackmagic Resolve and Premiere Pro? Yes, it does, and when it is running hard, the fans turn on. The Nvidia RTX A5000 laptop GPU is really impressive considering that it’s stuffed inside such a small form factor. Resolve continually embraces GPU acceleration more than Adobe, in my opinion, and the results of my testing bear that out.

Blackmagic Resolve
Up first is Resolve 18.6.4. Keep in mind that when comparing workstations or GPUs, increased speeds are not always tied to new hardware. Advancements in underlying software efficiency, drivers, firmware updates, etc. will also improve speeds. That said, based on a UHD, 3840×2160 timeline, I edited the following clips together and put a basic color grade on them:

• ARRI RAW: 3840×2160 24fps – 7 seconds, 12 frames
• ARRI RAW: 4448×1856 24fps – 7 seconds, 12 frames
• BMD RAW: 6144×3456 24fps – 15 seconds
• Red RAW: 6144×3072 23.976fps – 7 seconds, 12 frames
• Red RAW: 6144×3160 23.976fps – 7 seconds, 12 frames
• Sony a7siii: 3840×2160 23.976fps – 15 seconds

I then duplicated that timeline but added Blackmagic’s noise reduction. Then I duplicated the timeline again and added sharpening and grain. Finally, I replaced the built-in Resolve noise reduction with a third-party noise reduction plugin from Neat Video. From there, I exported multiple versions: DNxHR 444 10-bit OP1a MXF, DNxHR 444 10-bit MOV, H.264 MP4, H.265 MP4, AV1 MP4 (Nvidia GPUs only) and then an IMF package using the default settings.

Here are my results:

Adobe Premiere Pro
I ran similar tests inside Premiere Pro 2024 (24.1), exporting using Adobe Media Encoder. The video assets are the same as the ones I used in Resolve, but I used Adobe’s noise reduction, sharpening and grain filters instead of Resolve’s and Neat Video.

Here are the Premiere Pro Results:

These results are definitely competitive with desktop-size workstations. What makes laptop-size components difficult to design? Heat dissipation and size. HP labels its heat dissipation technology as Vaporforce Thermals. That’s a fancy way of saying that HP takes pride in how it designs its fans and heat spreaders to keep the system as cool as possible, even when rendering hours of content in multimedia apps like Resolve.

HP does a great job at keeping the HP ZBook Fury 16 G10 cool to the touch, which isn’t always the case for workstations. Also, the tool-less design of the HP ZBook Fury 16 G10 is amazing. With one switch, you can remove the bottom panel and begin diagnosing, replacing or upgrading components with little technical know-how. The ease of disassembly is what keeps me loving HP’s workstations. The quickest way to put a bad taste in my mouth is not to allow, or make it extremely difficult to, self-repair or upgrade. It just feels wrong. But luckily HP makes it easy.

With such an impressively powerful mobile workstation comes a large price tag: the HP ZBook Fury 16 G10 I tested retails for just over $9,000 before taxes and shipping. Yikes. But for the power under the hood of the HP ZBook Fury 16 G10, you are essentially getting desktop power in a small form factor. The battery that comes with the Fury is great, I turned off any power saving settings to ensure I was running at full speed, and I was able to get about 2.5 hours of run time while running the PugetBench for Creators benchmark utility on a loop. That is essentially constant video editing and rendering.

While that runtime might seem short, it is actually pretty long when running at full speed. But obviously, staying plugged in is your best option when doing multimedia work. If security is important to you, and we know it is, then HP’s Wolf Security is loaded with protections. You can find out more here.

Summing Up
In the end, the HP ZBook Fury 16 G10 is a pricey but powerful mobile workstation that won’t leave you wishing for a desktop. Add a little docking setup with a couple monitors, and you’ll be flying through your color correction in Resolve, noise reduction with Neat Video or video editing in Premiere Pro.

Honestly, the backlit RGB keyboard seemed like a novelty at first, but I found that I really enjoyed it. Definitely check out the MIL-STD 810H-tested HP ZBook Fury 16 G10 if you are in the market for the highest of high-end mobile workstations, which can play RAW 4K media with little interruption:

Brady Betzel is an Emmy-nominated online editor at Margarita Mix in Hollywood, working on shows like Life Below Zero and Uninterrupted: The Shop. He is also a member of the Producers Guild of America. You can email Brady at bradybetzel@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @allbetzroff.