HP EliteBook 745 G6 (AMD) Review: Performance vs Intel Rivals
HP EliteBook 745 G6 (AMD)
Review: Performance vs Intel Rivals
Everyone asks for an Intel i5. Almost nobody asks about the AMD alternative sitting quietly at a lower price — with better graphics than its Intel equivalent. Here's an honest look.
The HP EliteBook 745 G6 with AMD Ryzen 5 Pro 3500U (KSh 32,500) is a genuinely capable business laptop that trades a modest single-core performance disadvantage against equivalent Intel Core i5 8th Gen chips for meaningfully better integrated graphics (Radeon Vega 8) and typically a lower price. It handles everyday office work, browsing, video calls, and light creative tasks comfortably, and is a legitimate alternative worth considering rather than a compromise — particularly for buyers who value GPU-dependent performance or want to save money without sacrificing build quality.
Pro 3500U peak speed
stronger than Intel UHD 620
32,500Reduced from
KSh 39,000
722 264WhatsApp — check
current AMD stock
AMD-powered business laptops remain a genuine minority in Kenya's EX-UK market — UK corporate IT departments have historically ordered Intel-based machines in far greater volume, largely due to established procurement relationships rather than any real performance gap. This means models like the HP EliteBook 745 G6 arrive in smaller numbers and get far less attention from Kenyan buyers than their Intel equivalents, despite being a genuinely competitive and often better-value option for specific use cases.
This review looks honestly at what the AMD Ryzen 5 Pro 3500U inside the 745 G6 actually delivers, how it compares directly against the Intel Core i5 8th Gen chips covered in our detailed i5 8th Gen comparison, and who should genuinely consider it over the more familiar Intel alternative.
Live pricing from the HP EliteBook 745 G6 product page, verified at time of writing.
- Base / Boost Clock2.1GHz / 3.7GHz
- Cores / Threads4 / 8
- Cache4MB L3
- TDP12-15W (configurable)
- GraphicsRadeon Vega 8 (8 CUs)
- Enterprise PlatformAMD PRO
- Base / Turbo Clock1.7GHz / 3.6GHz
- Cores / Threads4 / 8
- Cache6MB L3
- TDP15W
- GraphicsIntel UHD 620
- Enterprise PlatformIntel vPro
Both chips offer 4 cores / 8 threads and comparable TDP. AMD's higher boost clock (3.7GHz vs 3.6GHz) is offset by Intel's larger cache and generally stronger single-core IPC (instructions per clock cycle) — in practice, Intel holds a modest edge in single-threaded tasks, while AMD's graphics hold a clear edge in GPU-dependent work.
The single biggest practical difference between this AMD configuration and an equivalent Intel i5-8350U machine is graphics performance. Radeon Vega 8, with 8 compute units, meaningfully outperforms Intel's UHD 620 found in comparable Intel 8th Gen laptops — often by a wide margin in GPU-dependent benchmarks. In practical terms, this translates to smoother scrubbing through video timelines in editing software, more responsive GPU-accelerated filters in Photoshop, better performance in Canva's more graphics-heavy templates, and meaningfully more playable frame rates in light gaming titles like Minecraft, CS:GO, or older esports titles at reduced settings. For a business laptop, this is a genuine, tangible advantage that most buyers comparing spec sheets by processor name alone would never notice.
- Typical score range~1,000-1,100 pts
- vs i5-8350URoughly comparable
- Typical single-thread~1,750-1,850
- Typical multi-thread~5,700-6,000
- vs Intel UHD 620Meaningfully ahead
- Light gaming FPSNoticeably smoother
- Office / browsingIndistinguishable from Intel
- GPU tasksNoticeably smoother
Figures are published community benchmark ranges (NotebookCheck, PassMark public database) rather than in-house results — actual performance for any specific unit depends on thermal condition and configuration.
AMD vs Intel — Where They Actually Differ
"Nobody asks for AMD by name in Kenya's laptop market. But the chip quietly outperforms its Intel equivalent at exactly the tasks most buyers actually care about beyond typing." — Tech Convenience Store, Tom Mboya Street, Nairobi CBD
| Task | HP EliteBook 745 G6 (AMD) |
|---|---|
| Boot to desktop | 10-15 seconds (SSD) |
| Office, browsing, video calls | Smooth, indistinguishable from equivalent Intel machine |
| Photoshop GPU filters / Canva | Noticeably smoother than Intel UHD 620 equivalent |
| Video preview scrubbing (Premiere/DaVinci) | Smoother playback than Intel UHD 620 equivalent |
| Light gaming (Minecraft, CS:GO, low settings) | Genuinely more playable than Intel UHD 620 equivalent |
| Single-threaded scripts / rapid app switching | Marginally behind equivalent Intel i5 |
- Fewer AMD units in Kenya's EX-UK market — this means less second-hand comparison data and slightly less common availability than Intel equivalents, though this has no bearing on the actual machine's reliability.
- Modest single-core disadvantage — if your work is dominated by single-threaded tasks (some older software, certain scripting workloads), Intel's i5-8350U holds a small edge worth considering.
- 8GB RAM is the base configuration — adequate for everyday use, but consider a RAM upgrade to 16GB if you multitask heavily; ask us about upgrade options for this specific unit.
- Brand perception, not performance, is the real barrier — many buyers default to Intel simply because it's more familiar, not because of any genuine performance shortfall in this comparison.
- You do any light creative work (Photoshop, Canva, video preview)
- Occasional light gaming during breaks matters to you
- You want the lowest price for comparable core specifications
- You're open to a less common but equally capable platform
- Your work is dominated by single-threaded or scripting tasks
- You strongly prefer the widest possible resale/parts market
- Brand familiarity in your team or IT department matters
- You want the exact same platform as your existing fleet
Frequently Asked Questions
Direct answers about the HP EliteBook 745 G6 and its AMD processor.
- Yes, for everyday business, office, and student use. It delivers comparable multi-threaded performance to equivalent Intel i5 8th Gen chips, with notably stronger integrated graphics (Radeon Vega 8) that outperform Intel's UHD 620 in GPU-dependent tasks like light gaming and Photoshop filters.
- The Ryzen 5 Pro 3500U has slightly lower peak clocks than the i5-8350U but comparable core count. AMD's Vega 8 graphics significantly outperform Intel's UHD 620. Intel generally holds a modest single-core edge; AMD holds a graphics edge relevant to light gaming and creative software.
- Radeon Vega 8 is the integrated GPU in the Ryzen 5 Pro 3500U, with 8 compute units. It delivers meaningfully better graphics performance than Intel UHD 620, translating to smoother light gaming, better video preview scrubbing, and improved responsiveness in GPU-accelerated Photoshop filters.
- AMD PRO offers a comparable set of enterprise security and manageability features to Intel vPro, including hardware-based security and remote management for business fleet deployment. The practical difference is minimal for most Kenyan business use cases.
- Yes — the configuration in our stock includes a 14-inch touchscreen display, adding direct touch interaction on top of the standard keyboard and trackpad.
- UK corporate buyers historically ordered Intel-based laptops in far greater volume due to established procurement relationships rather than any inherent performance gap. This means AMD models arrive in Kenya in smaller numbers, even though they're genuinely competitive on performance and value.
- Most 745 G6 configurations use a SODIMM RAM slot that can typically be upgraded from 8GB to 16GB. Ask us to confirm upgradeability and pricing for the specific unit you're considering.
- Tech Convenience Store, Shop U11, F&F Building, Tom Mboya Street, 1st Floor, Nairobi CBD. Mon-Sat 10am-5pm. WhatsApp 0714 722 264. Tested for battery health and functional condition before sale, with countrywide delivery via G4S and Fargo Courier.
The HP EliteBook 745 G6 deserves more attention in Kenya's market than it typically receives — not because it beats Intel across every measure, but because it offers a genuinely different and often better-suited balance of strengths for a meaningful share of buyers. If your daily work involves any GPU-dependent task — light gaming, video preview, Photoshop filters, Canva's more graphics-intensive templates — the Vega 8 graphics inside this AMD chip deliver a noticeably smoother experience than the Intel UHD 620 found in equivalently priced i5 8th Gen machines, at a genuinely competitive price of KSh 32,500.
This unit is in stock and tested for battery health before sale. Visit us at Shop U11, F&F Building, Tom Mboya Street, Nairobi CBD to try it in person and compare it directly against an Intel equivalent, or WhatsApp 0714 722 264 to confirm current stock. We deliver countrywide via G4S and Fargo Courier to all 47 counties.
- Generation ComparisonCore i5 8th Gen: HP vs Dell vs Lenovo Performance
- Head-to-HeadHP EliteBook 830 G8 vs Dell Latitude 5420
- Brand ComparisonHP vs Dell Laptops — Which Brand Is Better?
- CPU GuideCore i5 vs Core i7 — Which Do You Need?
- SourcingWhat Does "EX-UK" Actually Mean? A Complete Guide
- TouchscreensTouchscreen vs Non-Touchscreen Laptops
- BatteryTop 15 Best Battery Life Laptops Kenya 2026
- BudgetTop 10 Laptops Under KSh 30,000 Kenya 2026
Compare AMD vs Intel Yourself
Visit our store to test the HP EliteBook 745 G6 alongside an equivalent Intel machine, or WhatsApp us to confirm current stock. 0714 722 264 · Tom Mboya Street.