SCHENKER VIA 15 Pro and WORK series: Uncompromising developer ultrabook and new office laptops

With the new VIA 15 Pro, SCHENKER has put together a unique overall package: The 1.45 kg ultrabook integrates AMD’s efficient eight-core Ryzen 7 5700U, a 15.6 inch WQHD IPS display and two freely accessible and upgradeable M.2 SSD and RAM slots – a combination that is usually only found in significantly heavier gaming laptops with dedicated graphics cards. Unlike these, however, the VIA 15 Pro features AMD’s energy-efficient, integrated Radeon graphics unit. With this outfit, the ultrabook is aimed at developers, programmers, and creative professionals, among others. The all-round office laptops SCHENKER WORK 15 and WORK 17 are also being updated with Intel’s Alder Lake-P processors.

SCHENKER VIA 15 Pro (M22): Lightweight magnesium ultrabook with Ryzen 7 5700U, WQHD display and a large battery

One of the most striking features of the SCHENKER VIA 15 Pro is a performance-enhanced AMD Ryzen 7 5700U with eight cores and 16 threads: instead of running the CPU with a TDP of 15 watts, which is common in the ultrabook sector, it can operate permanently at 35 watts in the highest performance profile (“enthusiast”) – this way, it outperforms the majority of ULV processors and achieves a multi-score of 3937 points in Cinebench R20. The laptop’s dual-fan cooling system was adopted from the 2020 predecessor model of the VIA 15 Pro, so it is designed for less efficient CPUs from the 54 watt TDP class and therefore guarantees superior and quiet cooling. Those who require somewhat less performance may select the medium performance profile (“balanced”) for particularly quiet operation. Switching is possible in real time at the touch of a button via a keyboard shortcut.

Just like the cooling system, the lightweight chassis made of AZ91D magnesium alloy (display lid, top shell) and aluminium (bottom shell) remains identical: SCHENKER’s power ultrabook weighs only 1.45 kg, measures 356.4 x 233.7 x 16.8 mm and integrates a high-capacity 91 Wh battery. The VIA 15 Pro combines these features with two SO-DIMM sockets for up to 64 GB DDR-3200 RAM in dual-channel operation and two M.2 slots with fast PCI Express 4.0 connection. Unlike conventional ultrabooks, the memory components are not soldered, meaning they are freely accessible and easily upgradable if required.

The display with higher resolution is new. The 350 nits bright WQHD IPS panel (2560 x 1440 pixels) is 165 Hz fast, offers 95% coverage of the sRGB colour space and works flicker-free thanks to the absence of PWM. In terms of connectivity, the new SCHENKER VIA 15 Pro eliminates one of the biggest drawbacks of the predecessor model: The USB-C port not only supports Power Delivery, but also now integrates a DisplayPort stream. In addition to an HDMI 2.0 output with HDCP support, the laptop also comes with three USB type A ports, a microSD card reader, a combo port for headset and microphone as well as Gigabit LAN and Wi-Fi 6. SCHENKER has positioned the webcam on the top of the display, allowing for an advantageous recording angle. Inputs are made via a Microsoft Precision touchpad and a keyboard with multi-level adjustable white backlighting.

SCHENKER WORK 15and WORK 17 (M22) with update to Intel CPUs from the 12th Core generation

The SCHENKER WORK series addresses a different group of users with the two office all-rounders WORK 15 and WORK 17. The new model version M22 swaps the previous Intel Tiger Lake-H35 CPUs from the 11th Core generation for Alder Lake-P models from the 12th Core generation. Two options are available – the Core i7-1260P and the Core i5-1250P, each with four performance and eight efficiency cores and 16 threads. The upgrade provides significantly increased multi-thread computing power and therefore is sufficient for far more than simple office tasks, especially since the integrated Intel Xe graphics unit offers strong multimedia capabilities, for example supporting hardware acceleration to transcode AV1, HEVC and VP9 videos.

Both laptops are equipped with two SO-DIMM sockets for up to 64 GB of DDR4-3200 memory and two M.2 SSD slots with PCI Express 4.0 connection for the primary system drive. The viewing-angle-stable Full HD IPS panel covers almost 90 per cent of the sRGB colour space and runs flicker-free, thanks to the absence of PWM control. The displays can be opened by up to 130 degrees and offer ergonomic finesse: The lower edge also serves as a stand and raises the laptop by 8.3 mm (WORK 15) or 12 mm (WORK 17). As a result, the keyboard with white backlighting is slightly slanted, providing a particularly comfortable input platform. At the same time, the slanted stand position ensures improved air supply for cooling.

External connectivity options include Thunderbolt 4 with integrated DisplayPort stream, three USB ports including USB-C 3.2 Gen2, an HDCP-enabled HDMI port, a 2-in-1 audio jack for headset and microphone, a microSD card reader, and Gigabit LAN and Wi-Fi 6.

Both the WORK 15 (357 x 220.5 x 19.9 mm, 1.7 kg) and the WORK 17 (357.5 x 238 x 19.8 mm, 2.25 kg) make use of an aluminium display lid and bottom shell. The chassis feature a discreet design and integrate a 73 Wh battery. With business users in mind, the WORK series also offers a range of security features. These include a hardware based TPM 2.0 module, a Kensington lock and a Windows Hello compatible webcam. Whilst the SCHENKER WORK 15 exclusively has a fingerprint reader integrated into the touchpad, the 17.3 inch model offers a larger and particularly generous sliding surface of 15 x 9 cm.

Pricing and availability

The base configuration of the  SCHENKER VIA 15 Pro which can be freely configured on bestware.com, includes AMD’s Ryzen 7 5700U, 8 GB DDR4-3200, a 500 GB Samsung 980 SSD and a 165 Hz WQHD IPS display. The starting price including 19% VAT is € 1,249. The base configuration of the SCHENKER WORK 15 and SCHENKER WORK 17 available from € 1,149 (WORK 15) and € 1,170 (WORK 17) includes Intel’s Core i5-1250P, 8 GB DDR4-3200, a 500 GB Samsung 980 SSD and a Full HD IPS display. Component upgrades are available for an additional charge. All SCHENKER laptops purchased via the company’s own e-commerce platform bestware.com come with a 36-month factory warranty.