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Dynabook Tecra A65-M: 30-second review
The Dynabook Tecra A65-M is a business-focused 16-inch laptop with powerful CPU, full-sized keyboard and plenty of connection options, both physical and wireless. This is essentially a laptop designed to be used in both the office and being durable enough to be used out in the field.
The physical size is a step up from many portable business laptops, and that additional real estate should be a major asset. However, the resolution is only 1920 x 1200, which, while clear for everyday use, is a little limiting. On a larger display, you feel that you should be able to fit in far more than on a smaller screen, but due to the limits of resolution, things still feel just a little cramped. The screen is also a little dim for out and about use, although fine in the office, with brightness rated at just 300 nits.
For everyday office tasks, the full-sized keyboard, is extremely welcome, making typing easier, although this is a functional keyboard without refinement and tactile actuation that you usually find in mid to premium laptops.
Checking over the PC performance benchmarks and general office, creative and gaming use, the laptop actually puts in a decent performance. When editing in an application such as CapCut, the larger screen makes it nicer to work with despite the limited screen resolution, and the SSD storage offers good read/write times, making the whole editing experience smooth.
Looking at Photoshop, the performance was very good, with brushes applying smoothly and layers building up well. However, the colour accuracy and brightness of the screen were an issue. Likewise, when progressing to Lightroom and Premiere Pro, it highlighted that it’s fine for occasional use, but if anything is colour critical, then connecting to a larger display or looking at another option is more suitable.
When it comes to games, high-end titles such as Red Dead Redemption II and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle are playable for the most part, although the fans do kick in and framerates and the smoothness of motion aren’t the best. However, for lightweight games such as DiRT Rally, that larger screen makes for a more immersive experience.
For multimedia playback, the laptop works perfectly well, and the audio quality isn’t too bad.
Ultimately, this is a business-focused laptop, so if your main purpose is to have a larger screen with relatively low resolution for typing business documents, working on large Excel sheets, creating PowerPoint presentations and browsing the internet, then this is a fair option. But it’s not quite on par with those machines in our best business laptop guide. If you need something for creative use, it’s best to look elsewhere.
Dynabook Tecra A65-M: Price & availability
- How much does it cost? $1019 (Price dependent on order)
- When is it out? Now
- Where can you get it? Widely available
At present, the price for the Dynabook Tecra A65-M isn’t widely available without requesting details with your own configuration and order numbers, with the laptops starting at around $1019 is the US. You can check it out on the official Dynabook site by clicking here.
Dynabook Tecra A65-M: Design
Specifications
CPU: Up to AMD Ryzen 7 Pro 250
Graphics: Radeon 780M Graphics 3301 MHz
RAM: Up to 32GB DDR5 (expandable to 64GB)
Storage: Up to 1TB SSD
Left Ports: HDMI, 2 x USB 3.1 Type C, 1 x USB 3.2 Type A, Headphone and Microphone Combo
Right Ports: Ethernet, Type A, MicroSD
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4
Audio: Stereo speakers
Camera: 5MP webcam + privacy shutter
Size: 14.06 x 9.80 x 0.78 inches / 357 x 248.85 x 19.9 mm
OS Installed: Windows 11 Pro
Accessories: PSU
Compared with many of the business-focused laptops that I’ve looked at recently, the Tecra A65-M is slightly larger, with the official dimensions measuring 357 x 248.85 x 19.95 mm and weight of 1.69 kg, not including the power adapter and cable. This makes roughly the same size as a MacBook Pro. I am a little surprised that the battery is only 60Wh, considering the size of the laptop and the screen, but through the tests it proved to supply around 6 hours of use.
Opening up the laptop, one of the first design elements that hits you is the 16-inch WUXGA Full HD Plus screen. This offers a resolution of 1920 x 1200 and features a backlit display with an anti-glare film, whilst my review unit wasn’t touchscreen, there is a touchscreen option available for an additional cost.
One aspect that I do like about this screen is the 180° hinge, meaning that you can lay the laptop flat onto a work surface, which is handy if you’re working with others and need to show the contents of the screen. If that display were touchscreen, its usefulness would be even more apparent.
Another feature of the build is that it’s made from polycarbonate ABS, designed to pass MIL-STD-810H testing methodology. While the design feels very business-like, there is a certain cheaper plastic feel when compared with the magnesium or aluminium alloy that often features on other premium laptops of this style.
There’s no doubt that the full-sized keyboard is nice to see, especially with the inclusion of the integrated numeric keypad. The keyboard is complemented by the trackpad, which is slightly offset to the left of the keyboard, essentially placing it at the center of the main keyboard, with the num-pad being set over to the right. The keyboard and trackpad offer a decent size and design to interact with Windows and its applications.
Dynabook Tecra A65-M: Features
Taking a look at some of the major features of the Dynabook Tecra A65-M, first of all, there’s the heart of the machine, which is an AMD Ryzen 7 250 with Radeon 780M Graphics. This is more than enough to run Windows 11 Pro and many native Microsoft applications such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
While this combination offers plenty of power, it isn’t in line with many of the more recent AI-enhanced CPU workflows, so this is something to keep in mind.
On board is 16GB of DDR5 RAM, complemented by 512GB of M.2 SSD storage, more than enough for most business uses, but this will limit the use for creative applications.
What impresses here is the connectivity, with wireless options through Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4, enabling plenty of options for accessories and networks. If you want to hardwire into a network, there is a LAN port on the side, which is extremely helpful, especially if you’re switching between working at home and in an office.
One of the key features of this laptop is its connectivity options. It features a full-sized HDMI, two USB 3.1 Type-C ports offering support for DisplayPort, data transfer and power delivery, and USB 3.2 Type-A ports, a headphone/microphone combo port, a microSD card slot, and an integrated microphone with webcam that features a privacy slider.
The 16-inch screen should be a major feature, but I was disappointed to see that this WUXGA Full HD Plus screen only has a resolution of 1920 x 1200. While it is an IPS display with anti-glare film, it has a maximum brightness of 300 nits. This is more than enough for most office environments, but if you are using it in a café or on your daily commute, that brightness could be limiting.
Supporting the display is a relatively decent set of stereo speakers with DTS audio processing and AI-assisted noise reduction. This complements the built-in webcam, meaning that for video meetings, whilst the 5MP camera might be mid-range, it combines with decent audio and makes a good option for a work-focused laptop.
Dynabook Tecra A65-M: Performance
Benchmarks
Crystal Disk Mark Read: 5018.22
Crystal Disk Mark Write: 2797.62
Geekbench CPU Multi: 9290
Geekbench CPU Single: 2467
Geekbench GPU: 20266
PC Mark Overall: 7010
Cinebench CPU Multi (Threads): 3074
Cinebench CPU Single (Threads): 407
Fire Strike Overall: 4562
Fire Strike Graphics: 4977
Fire Strike Physics: 23070
Fire Strike Combined: 1613
Time Spy Overall: 1917
Time Spy Graphics: 1684
Time Spy CPU: 8953
Wild Life Overall: 10739
Steel Nomad Overall: 279
Windows Experience Overall: 8
The Tecra A65-M is a larger work-focused laptop and from the outset that size makes for a nicer viewing experience when typing notes and working on documents. As an example, writing this review on the larger screen made it easier when using Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
However, I did feel the screen was lacking somewhat by not offering a higher resolution that would benefit this size, and while brightness in the office was fine, sitting in a café with a window behind me highlighted the limits of that 300-nit brightness.
The size of the machine thankfully meant that it wouldn’t fit into my usual backpack, which only just fits a MacBook Pro M1, and again here the Tecra A65-M just fitted.
What was apparent from the outset was just how well Windows 11 Pro would run and while the window experience score was lower than most laptops I have looked at recently at 8.0 for the most part all applications ran, if some took a little longer to load than expected.
All Microsoft applications loaded quickly however, and typing, adding data into Excel sheets and working out presentations in PowerPoint worked as well on this machine as any. Likewise, browsing the internet, watching media and listening to music showed that for a modern laptop, it is more than capable of keeping up with day-to-day productivity tasks and switching between applications.
I also liked the fact that there are fast USB4 ports, enabling quick connectivity to an external SSD, meaning that when browsing through images, the computer was able to handle data transfer well.
Once convinced by the laptop’s performance with basic tasks, I switched to creative applications, starting with Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop, both of which ran without issue. However, in Photoshop, with a resolution of 1920 x 1200, everything felt a little cramped compared to what I’m used to. For applications where more real estate is needed, I could connect through the HDMI port to a higher-resolution monitor, which worked well.
Looking at video editing, I started to see the CPU and GPU struggle with the lack of RAM. While it can edit 1080p footage without issue, as soon as you start applying longer edits of 4K video, the machine shows its limits in Adobe Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve. Switching to CapCut and working with 4K footage, the software was able to edit, apply templates and effects smoothly, showing that for light multimedia use, the Tecra A65-M is capable.
Testing the display with the Datacolor SpyderX calibration device made it clear that colour accuracy is focused on business and non-critical tasks rather than creative use. Dynabook states that the screen is sRGB and makes no claims about wider colour accuracy, reinforcing its work-focused audience rather than creative users.
This leads on to gaming. For light to mid-weight gaming, the CPU and GPU have enough power to run most modern games, but when pushing the GPU with titles such as Red Dead Redemption II or Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, gameplay for the most part is fine, with an occasional glitch in the graphics. As with all high demand applications you also have the constant noise of the fans keeping heat in check.
The larger keyboard, trackpad and screen should have been highly beneficial; but the screen resolution was a little low for my preference. For the price, I would have expected a slightly higher-resolution option.
Likewise, while it’s great to have a full-sized keyboard and trackpad, the build quality feels a little plastic and lightweight, and while once again they are functional, neither offer the tactile feedback that I’m used to with more premium models.
For work-focused applications, this machine is well balanced, but for more advanced tasks, there are other similarly priced options that offer better quality.
Dynabook Tecra A65-M: Final verdict
If you’re looking for a powerful 16-inch office laptop the Dynabook Tecra A65-M is a well balanced option with powerful CPU and GPU combination, although as with everything about this laptop, function comes above cutting edge features or refinements to the design.
As an example while the CPU and GPU is powerful they seem dated with no AI enhancement, and putting in average scores across the board. However, the laptop did prove reliable and was able to handle all applications from productivity to creative, with limitations. Those being that creative apps and games take a while to load, and while usable certain actions will slow the system with the fans kicking in as soon as the system is put under load.
My main issue with the laptop is the quality of the display, which, for everyday use, looks fine and at 1920 x 1080 resolution seems adequate for productivity apps such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint. However, as application complexity increases, such as in Adobe Photoshop, a slightly higher resolution would be welcome.
My review sample was the non-touchscreen version, and while the 180° hinge feature is handy, if this was touch screen I could really see the benefits of the touch screen and hinge in meetings when flipping the monitor down to share content.
When it comes to being work-focused, this is where the laptop’s strength lies. While the build quality feels a little plastic, key features such as wireless connectivity and ports make up for those areas.
There’s no doubt about the processing power this laptop offers. If you’re looking for a well-balanced 16-inch machine with a full-sized keyboard, then this is a good option. However, there aren’t any frills here, and it all feels a bit base-level for what’s on offer.
If you’re going to focus on this laptop, it’s best to think of it as a workhorse without frills that offers a competent machine with nothing too flashy or advanced, just the core features you’ll need for everyday work.
Should I buy a Dynabook Tecra A65-M?
|
Value |
Good value for money considering the power of the CPU, GPU, port technology and screen size |
4 |
|
Design |
Relatively lightweight for the size of the machine; however, it all feels a little plastic |
3 |
|
Features |
Overall, a well-balanced set of features; however, the CPU and GPU feel a little dated |
4 |
|
Performance |
The CPU performance is excellent, but the integrated GPU is limited for creative and gaming use |
4 |
|
Overall |
Very much a workhorse for business use; if you’re in the creative or gaming industry, then you’ll need something with a little more GPU power |
4 |
Buy it if…
Don’t buy it if…
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