Packing a surprising amount of power this compact laptop handles spreadsheets, presentations, and even video editing with ease
Dynabook Portégé X40-M: 30-second review
The Portégé X40-M is a premium business laptop, and from the outset, it’s obvious that it has been designed for the professional market and those looking for a solid, no-fuss machine that enables focus on work rather than entertainment.
The design is sleek and minimalistic, with the dark grey finish giving it the look and style that we’ve come to expect from premium machines. It also features a tough aluminium alloy case that finishes off the look whilst also reinforcing the high-quality style and robust build.
While the main aesthetics and functions of this machine are in line with the best business laptop expectations, the 180-degree flip-down screen does mark it out as something a little different. Essentially, in a meeting, you can lay the monitor flat, making it easier for everyone to see. However, the screen itself isn’t touch-enabled, although there is an option to add a touch-enabled screen when ordering.
Getting started with the laptop, it’s instantly apparent just how powerful the new Intel Core Ultra processor is, able to handle Windows 11 Pro without any issues, and all Microsoft Office applications load quickly and function smoothly.
As you start to develop the work that you do on the laptop, you realise that whilst this might not have high-end integrated graphics like many other laptops of this quality, the generic graphics actually do a superb job for the most part, enabling you to do moderate image and video editing in Photoshop, Lightroom and Premiere Pro without too much issue.
Even pushing the system a little bit further and playing the likes of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, which you would think with an integrated graphics chip as appears with this machine would ordinarily see the machine struggle, in this case, still enable decent gameplay, although the settings are set at low to mid quality.
Whilst the overall performance of the machine is exceptionally good from general Microsoft Office work through to processing the Internet, creative applications including CapCut and playing the odd game or two, I did find the review configuration was only really let down by the lack of hard drive space, with just 512GB, there’s also a 256GB version which would really limits its use. Whilst I can see the benefits of the rest of the configuration for a purely business-focused machine, that 512GB storage is quickly consumed, meaning additional external drives are an essential addition.
One other aspect that stood out to me, and I feel would be beneficial to all in a working environment, is the volume of connectivity options around the sides. There are a number of ports, including a microSD, meaning that you can quickly transfer large volumes of data from mobile phones, action cameras and drones. There’s also a standard-sized network port, meaning that if you’re going from one location to another, you can get that wired connection into the network. Then there are also plenty of generic ports, including full-size HDMI and two USB ports, giving you plenty of connectivity options wherever you are.
Alongside the usual features, there are several security options that will again appeal to business users, including the more standard options of Windows Hello and fingerprint recognition, and then the more advanced security option in the form of DynaBooks’ native BIOS.
Overall, the high-quality build, robust feel, additional security and exceptional performance from the Intel Ultra 5 CPU make this a great machine for business-focused users. My only reservation is that small 512GB hard drive, which does quickly get consumed, so if I were looking at this machine, I would recommend looking at an option with greater storage and possibly a touchscreen.Dynabook Portégé X40-M: Price & availability
How much does it cost? $1500 / £1500 (Price dependent on order)
When is it out? Now
Where can you get it? Widely available
At present, the price for the Dynabook Portégé X40-M isn’t widely available without requesting details with your own configuration and order numbers, with the laptops starting at around $1500/£1500 per unit. You can check it out on the official Dynabook site by clicking here.
Value: 4 / 5Dynabook Portégé X40-M: Design
The Portégé X40-M has been designed for business users and has a slick and stylish finish. It’s very minimalistic without some of the fanfare that we see with more gamer- and consumer-focused laptops, and I personally much prefer this understated look and design.
The X40-M is relatively lightweight and slimline, measuring in at 313.2 x 221.75 x 18.6 mm, ensuring it will comfortably slip into most laptop bags and backpacks. The laptop’s weight starts at 1.38 kg, but that weight can vary depending on the configuration, and with my Intel Ultra 5 with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, that weight came in at 1.39kg, still nice and lightweight for this style and design of laptop.
The build quality stands out and despite the simple corporate aesthetics, the aluminium alloy chassis ensures it can withstand more than most being tested to MIL-STD-810H military standards, proving that through the development it has been dropped, dust, humidity, temperature and shock tested.
Opening up the lid and the 14-inch WXGA 16:10 display with an anti-glare coating, 300 nits of brightness, and IPS technology provides a decent enough screen. The maximum resolution of 1920 x 1200 is a little limited but good for office work, and sure enough, in use, that display does prove usable in most situations, other than the brightest daylight, where it will need some shielding.
The keyboard is also a good size, featuring a frameless full-size layout that is spill-resistant and offers backlit keys, so it is easy to use even in lower light. It also features a dedicated Copilot key to access the AI features.
Like the keyboard, the touchpad is of a good size and quality, offering all the usual multi-gesture control and functionality that you can customise through the generic Windows options.
