I Tested the HP EliteBook Ultra G1i. Its Deluxe Design and Features Are Perfect for On-the-Go Execs

8.5/ 10
SCORE

HP EliteBook Extremely G1i

Professionals

Glorious 2.8K OLED show
Lovely design that is additionally compact and light-weight
Aggressive software and AI efficiency from Intel Lunar Lake CPU

Cons

Very costly when not on sale
Battery life is nice however not nice

The EliteBook Extremely G1i could also be a brand new mannequin with a brand new title, but it surely comes with a well-recognized design. With its skinny and lightweight, well-built chassis, the EliteBook Extremely G1i is the clear successor to the HP Dragonfly G4, which I actually preferred as a premium enterprise laptop computer. The show side ratio has modified from a boxy 3:2 ratio to the extra widespread 16:10 format, and the colour of the laptop computer went from a matte black to a deep blue, however in any other case, the EliteBook Extremely G1i is principally a rebranded Dragonfly G4. It lives as much as its Extremely billing — from its design to its options and efficiency — and is a good choose for touring executives or anybody who appreciates a small, light-weight premium laptop computer for work. Simply remember to await it to go on sale if your organization would not qualify for a volume-pricing low cost.

HP EliteBook Extremely G1i

Worth as reviewed	$1,899
Show measurement/decision	14-inch 2,880×1,800 120Hz OLED show
CPU	Intel Core Extremely 7 268V
Reminiscence	32GB LPDDR5-8533
Graphics	Intel Arc 140V
Storage	512GB SSD
Ports	3 x Thunderbolt 4, USB 3.2 Gen 2, combo audio
Networking	Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4
Working system	Home windows 11 Professional 24H2
Weight	2.6 lbs (1.18 kg)

In the event you’re making an attempt to make sense of HP’s new laptop computer nomenclature, then you definitely first must know that the OmniBook model is the brand new residence for the corporate’s client fashions, with EliteBooks making up the business facet of issues. After that fork within the highway, you may subsequent encounter quite a lot of fashions inside every line, from entry-level items as much as the flagship programs tagged with the Extremely suffix, such because the EliteBook Extremely G1i right here.

Because the “i” signifies, the EliteBook Extremely G1i is an Intel-based laptop computer. It options Core Extremely Sequence 2 processors from Intel’s Lunar Lake sequence that energy the 14-inch clamshell with a 2.8K OLED show with a variable refresh price of as much as 120Hz and contact help. HP rotates reductions by means of all of its laptop computer traces, and the financial savings may be sizable for the EliteBook Extremely G1i.

The entry-level EliteBook Extremely G1 has a Core Extremely 5 226V, 16GB of RAM, Intel Arc graphics, a 512GB SSD and a 2.8K OLED show. The total value for this mannequin is $2,419, however I’ve seen it on sale for as little as $1,599. Our take a look at system contains a Core Extremely 7 268V and 32GB of RAM. Whereas it lists for $2,909, you may usually discover it on sale for as little as $1,899.

As a enterprise laptop computer, the EliteBook Extremely G1i comes backed with a one-year guarantee that features a yr of HP’s Wolf Safety suite. With that, you get hardware-enforced menace detection, malware isolation, BIOS and browser safety and the flexibility to remotely lock and wipe the system if it is misplaced or stolen. You’ll be able to lengthen the guarantee to a few years and likewise embody on-site service; the usual one-year plan consists of depot service.

The same EliteBook Extremely G1i to our take a look at system prices £1,752 within the UK and AU$3,870 in Australia.

HP EliteBook Extremely G1i efficiency

The EliteBook Extremely G1i’s Core Extremely 7 268V processor is sort of an identical to the extra widespread Lunar Lake providing within the Core Extremely 258V. You may discover the 258V chip provided extensively, and I’ve examined a lot of laptops with it, together with the Acer Swift 14 AI, Asus Zenbook S 14 and Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i 14 Gen 10. The one distinction between the 2 is that the 268V has barely greater max CPU and GPU frequencies, together with a pair extra GPU TOPS. Each processors have eight bodily cores (4 efficiency and 4 low-power environment friendly cores) and do not characteristic Intel’s Hyper-Threading know-how that permits a bodily core to behave as two digital cores.

HP EliteBook Ultra G1i Intel Core Ultra — Matt Elliott/CNET

The EliteBook Extremely G1i’s outcomes on our lab assessments have been practically an identical to these of the aforementioned trio of laptops with the Core Extremely 258V — sturdy single-core efficiency and fewer spectacular multicore efficiency due to the shortage of Hyper-Threading. Graphics efficiency from the Intel Arc 140V GPU is powerful amongst built-in GPUs, however to not the purpose of forgetting that the EliteBook Extremely G1i is constructed for enterprise and never gaming or demanding graphics work. On Procyon’s AI Laptop Imaginative and prescient benchmark that measures integer math proficiency for AI workloads, the EliteBook Extremely G1i’s efficiency was on par with different laptops that characteristic fashionable AI processors.

Battery life was good however not nice. On our YouTube streaming battery drain take a look at, the EliteBook Extremely G1i ran for 13 hours and 39 minutes, which is lengthy sufficient to get by means of practically any workday however nonetheless hours and hours lower than laptops with an ARM-based Qualcomm Snapdragon X sequence CPU, a few of which might run for greater than 20 hours on a single cost.

Extremely good design

The EliteBook Extremely G1i shares the identical skinny, inflexible body and chic matte end because the Dragonfly G4, however now is available in a darkish navy blue — a glance I desire over the Dragonfly’s jet black.The EliteBook Extremely positively has a premium appear and feel. The all-metal chassis feels MacBook Air-like in being exceptionally skinny and lightweight with out feeling flimsy. The construct high quality is great, with strong rigidity and the matte end is agreeable to each the attention and contact.

HP EliteBook Ultra G1i blue lid — Matt Elliott/CNET

At 2.6 kilos, the EliteBook Extremely G1i is only a hair heavier than the two.5-pound Dragonfly G4, which isn’t shocking because the 14-inch, 16:10 show is barely bigger than the Dragonfly G4’s 13.5-inch, 3:2 show. For its measurement, the EliteBook Extremely G1i may be very gentle. Most 14-inch laptops weigh nearer to three kilos, and it is lighter than the 13.6-inch MacBook Air, which weighs 2.7 kilos. In the event you’re in search of a fair lighter 14-inch laptop computer, take a look at the Asus Zenbook A14, which weighs solely 2.16 kilos. And amongst enterprise laptops, Lenovo’s flagship ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12 weighs solely 2.4 kilos.

The keyboard is extra MacBook than ThinkPad, which is to say the keys provide shallow journey and snappy suggestions. In the event you desire a deeper keypress with a extra plush really feel, then a ThinkPad might be the way in which to go. However when you’ve used a MacBook and preferred the typing expertise and need a Home windows laptop computer for work, then the transition to the EliteBook Extremely G1i shall be fairly seamless.

The touchpad, too, is MacBook-like. It is enormous — even bigger than the touchpad on the Dragonfly G4 — and gives a full of life and customizable haptic response.

HP EliteBook Ultra G1i keyboard and touchpad — Matt Elliott/CNET

The EliteBook Extremely G1i’s audio output is surprisingly good. The quad audio system produce a transparent and outlined sound subject with sufficient energy to fill a small room. I might hear separation between the highs and mids, together with some bass response. At full quantity, there was some degradation within the readability, however solely a bit. The sound could be spectacular for any leisure laptop computer — and much more so given the EliteBook Extremely’s enterprise focus.

The show is excellent. For starters, it is an OLED panel, so that you get vibrant colours and wonderful distinction with deep black ranges. Subsequent, its 2.8K decision gives the proper stability between pixel depend and battery life for a 14-inch show. Pictures and textual content look crisp to the purpose {that a} 4K decision is not wanted for this measurement panel and would solely shorten battery life. (The extra pixels a battery should energy, the faster it will get drained.) Additionally providing an amazing stability between show efficiency and battery life is the variable refresh price that lets the show run at 120Hz for clean motion however at a decrease price when it isn’t wanted to increase battery life.

HP scrapped the boxy 3:2 side ratio of the Dragonfly G4 for the standard 16:10 panel that is discovered on most fashionable laptops. There is a good purpose it is so widespread: It gives the most effective stability between an old-school 16:9 widescreen and the boxy 3:2 ratio that by no means actually caught on. At 14 inches, a 16:10 gives sufficient room for most individuals to work comfortably without having to connect with an exterior show. And mixed with the EliteBook Extremely G1i’s skinny bezels and skinny design, you get this roomy-enough show in a light-weight, very moveable bundle.

HP EliteBook Ultra G1i has a 14-inch, 2.8L 16:10 OLED display — Matt Elliott/CNET

It is also a touchscreen, which is a pleasant possibility since most individuals have grown accustomed to tapping on screens. And it has edge-to-edge glass for a good looking, seamless look befitting of its premium value.

I examined its colour efficiency and brightness with a Spyder X Elite colorimeter and the show carried out nicely. It coated 100% of the sRGB and P3 areas and 94% of AdobeRGB whereas additionally hitting a peak brightness of 386 nits. That brightness determine may not wow you by itself, however an OLED show would not must get as vivid as an LCD panel due to its wonderful distinction and successfully zero-nit blacks.

Above the show is a crisp, 9-megapixel webcam with an IR sensor to be used with Home windows Hi there. HP’s Poly Digital camera Professional app is nicely designed and gives AI-assisted choices for automated framing and blurring your background, amongst different results.

Poly Digital camera Professional ought to allow you to join an exterior webcam and use it concurrently with the laptop computer’s inside digital camera, however I used to be unable to get a two-camera shoot going as I might with the Dragonfly G4, which was the primary laptop computer I’ve examined with dual-webcam help. It is a area of interest characteristic — good for many who want to provide on-line tutorials or create different content material the place a second digital camera might be helpful — however I’ve requested HP for steering on find out how to use two cameras on the identical time on the EliteBook Extremely G1i. I will replace this assessment with what I discover out.

HP EliteBook Ultra G1i Thunderbolt 4 ports on right edge — Matt Elliott/CNET

The port choice is minimal however helpful. You get three Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports, which ought to suffice for many customers. There’s additionally a USB-A port, so there isn’t any want to fret about an adapter for any of your USB gadgets. You may want an adapter for an HDMI connection, nonetheless, because the USB-C ports are the one show output. Similar goes for Ethernet.

Ought to I purchase the HP EliteBook Extremely G1i?

At its sale value of $1,899, the EliteBook Extremely G1i is a wonderful worth and an amazing selection in your subsequent work laptop computer. With a spectacular 14-inch, 2.8K OLED show powered by an Intel Lunar Lake CPU wrapped up in a chic and compact enclosure, the EliteBook Extremely G1i is befitting of its Extremely label. Our take a look at configuration is more durable to suggest at its full value of practically $3,000, so it is best to attend for HP’s revolving and sizable low cost to land on it in case your buy would not qualify for a quantity low cost.

The assessment course of for laptops, desktops, tablets and different computerlike gadgets consists of two elements: efficiency testing underneath managed circumstances within the CNET Labs and intensive hands-on use by our skilled reviewers. This consists of evaluating a tool’s aesthetics, ergonomics and options. A remaining assessment verdict is a mix of each goal and subjective judgments.

The listing of benchmarking software program we use modifications over time because the gadgets we take a look at evolve. A very powerful core assessments we’re presently working on each appropriate laptop embody Primate Labs Geekbench 6, Cinebench R23, PCMark 10 and 3DMark Fireplace Strike Extremely.

A extra detailed description of every benchmark and the way we use it may be discovered on our How We Check Computer systems web page.

Geekbench 6 CPU (multi-core)

HP EliteBook X G1a 14224Dell Inspiron 14 Plus 7441 13471Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12 11919HP EliteBook Extremely G1i 11032Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i 14 Gen 10 11029Asus Zenbook S 14 10948Acer Swift 14 AI SF14-51T-75AF 10918