Most folks who know me on a personal level know that I'm quite into gadgets, especially those that offer awesome and wholesome value for money. One OEM that offers such value is Xiaomi, the behemoth that has an extensive lineup of products ranging from devices to clothing. As a company, Xiaomi has an ecosystem of devices including tablets, smartphones, tws earbuds, laptops, etc., but they are mainly known for their smartphones. They are, after all, the third-largest maker of smartphones after Apple and Samsung, respectively.

The company recently announced the refresh of their Xiaomi Book Pro lineup last year which has now been updated with new processors (Intel and AMD), faster RAM, storage, and a couple of new features across board, all wrapped in both 14" and 16" form factors.

Our main focus, though, is the Xiaomi Book 14” Pro AMD Ryzen 2022 Edition, which in my opinion is the best of both worlds if you're looking for a slim form factor with enough power to get some medium to heavy tasks done without turning your machine into a hot plate.

Before we jump into the laptop specifications, let's look at the build quality. The laptop is made using the CNC process and aircraft-grade aluminum, making it solid and durable. At only 14.9mm thin, it's easy to carry around and weighs only 1.4kg. There's very little flex on the keyboard due to the metal chassis. You'd have to press very hard to depress the keyboard which is back-lit with two levels of brightness. The hinges are quite sturdy, too, which means the screen does not wobble, and the laptop passes the one-finger test with flying colours when trying to open it. The laptop features two fans with double heat pipes for heat dissipation, ensuring that the laptop stays cool even under heavy load.

The Xiaomi Book 14 Pro 2022 AMD Edition running Windows 11 is powered by a very capable AMD Ryzen 7 6800H processor with 8 cores and 16 threads, which is based on the Zen3+ architecture. The processor has a max clock speed of 4.7Ghz, making it capable of handling demanding tasks with ease. Paired with RDNA 2 Graphics and Radeon 680M, its graphics performance for both gaming and creative work is well above average.

The laptop comes with 16GB LPDDR5 6400Mhz RAM, providing fast and responsive multitasking, allowing you to run multiple applications and programs at the same time without any lag. Unfortunately, it's soldered to the motherboard and cannot be upgraded. On the other hand, the onboard storage comes with a PCIe 4.0 512GB SSD that provides lightning-fast boot and load times, allowing you to start using your applications and files in seconds and can also be upgraded.

The most striking part of this laptop is its screen. It features a 14-inch 2.8K OLED screen with a resolution of 2880 x 1800, a 16:10 aspect ratio, and a peak refresh rate of 90Hz. The screen provides sharp and vivid images with a Delta E score of less than one. It covers 100% of the DCI-P3 color gamut and has a 0.2ms response time and 600 nits of brightness, making it perfect for creative work and entertainment. The anti-glare coating reduces eye strain and makes it easy to use for extended periods.

The 56Wh battery provides a long-lasting battery life of up to 10 hours, allowing you to work or play for hours without having to worry about finding an outlet. The two-watt speakers with DTS audio processing deliver immersive sound, making it a great choice for watching movies or playing games. It also features a high-quality camera for video conferencing and the it’s capable of producing clear and detailed images even in low light conditions, making it perfect for virtual meetings and webinars. Additionally, the laptop is equipped with Windows Hello, which allows you to log in to your laptop with just a touch of your finger. The fingerprint reader is integrated into the power button and provides quick and secure access to your device. For wireless connectivity, we've got Bluetooth 5.2 and Wi-Fi 6, providing fast and stable connections for all your devices.

With three full-featured USB-C 3.2 Gen2 ports for I/O, it provides limited connectivity options. But all three inputs have the capability to do display, power, and data. I would have loved to see USB 4 on board, but sadly that's not the case. A 3.5mm headphone and microphone combo jack can be found on the right side next to one of the USB-C ports, and the other two USB-C ports can be found on the right side. The 100-watt Type-C charger provides fast charging, allowing you to charge your laptop up to 50% in under an hour.

In conclusion, the Xiaomi Book 14 Pro 2022 AMD Edition is an excellent laptop for those who demand performance, style, and portability. With its powerful hardware, sleek design, and top-notch display, this laptop is a great choice for anyone who needs to perform demanding tasks, as well as for casual users who want a laptop that is easy to carry around.