HP ProBook 4720s review
HP ProBook 4720s — from 2013, 3.1 kg, performance 7.
Technical specifications
| Type | Business |
| Release year | 2013 |
| Screen | 17.3" · 1600x900 |
| Processor | Intel Core i3 330M , Intel Core i3 370M , Intel Core i3 350M , Intel Core i3 380M , Intel Core i5 460M , Intel Core i5 430M , Intel Core i5 480M |
| Graphics | ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4330 , ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5470 , ATI Mobility Radeon HD 6370 , Radeon HD 5470 |
| Max. RAM | 16 GB |
| Weight | 3.1 kg |
| Battery | 73 Wh |
Performance scores
ProBook 4720s — a 2013 big-battery desk brick at terminal price
The 2013 ProBook 4720s is HP's 17-inch budget business laptop: an i3-330M (first-generation Core), an ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4330 and 16 GB of RAM. At $162 it sits far below the business-class median of $297. The profile reads: 3.1 kg (+94% versus median, desktop-replacement tier — the registered top weakness), mobility 4 against a 60 median (−93%, the class floor), reliability 3 against a 42.5 median. The one genuine strength: a 73 Wh battery — 62% above the class median, top quarter.
The battery is the registered strength
A 73 Wh battery in a 17-inch chassis from 2013 was a deliberate configuration: big machines with big batteries run all day at the desk, power cuts included. Even with a decade of chemistry wear, a surviving cell of that size holds genuine runtime. That is the machine's one measurable advantage, and the verdict's "best for long battery life" reflects it honestly.
The floors, plainly
Everything else is terminal: a first-generation i3 dual-core at the floor of modern tolerance, an HD 4330 with no meaningful graphics role (minimum-tier modern titles fail — single-digit frames), a 3.1 kg chassis at the mobility floor, and a reliability score of 3 flagging thirteen years of wear. The 16 GB of RAM is a later upgrade that outclasses everything around it.
Price trajectory
From roughly $1,300 new to $162 today at 6.2% per year, projecting to $143 in two years (12.1% lower). Terminal pricing — the battery, RAM and working screen carry the value.
Where it sits against peers
Pricier neighbors are the ProBook 4730s ($182) and EliteBook 8560w ($184) — one generation newer; cheaper options are the Dell Latitude E6430u ($140) and EliteBook 725 G3 ($145), both far more portable. The 4720s is the big-body option of its band — the only one with a 17-inch panel and the big battery.
Bottom line
Worth the asking price for the narrowest niche: a fixed-desk machine where the big battery and big screen matter and nothing else does. The compute, graphics and mobility floors are all genuine. For $20 more the 4730s delivers a newer platform in the same body — most buyers should take that step.
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⭐ What stands out
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weight is higher than typical business class (+93.8%) (desktop replacement).
top 25% of its category -
mobility is lower than typical business class (+93.3%) (low tier).
budget segment of category -
reliability is lower than typical business class (+92.9%) (low tier).
budget segment of category
🔁 Alternatives
Compromise axis: reliability ↔ price
🎮 What it can run
⚙️ Configuration analysis
Top configuration is built for office apps, web browsing, and basic daily tasks.
🤔 How to choose
Universal advice for any use case.
- Reliability vs price: reliability (median 42.5) ↔ price (median 297.4).
- Weight vs CPU: mobility (median 60) ↔ overall performance (median 41.5).
- Upgradeability vs battery: upgradability (median 62.5) ↔ battery life (median 3.3).
ProBook 4720s: verdict
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