You’d never guess that HP’s latest PC is actually a business laptop

Whereas HP has utterly revamped its client laptops, with its funds, premium and gaming laptops all falling underneath the brand new OmniBook model, it has retained the EliteBooke line to outline its enterprise machines. The primary was the EliteBook X G1a, which used a customized AMD chip for improved efficiency and significantly quick AI on the machine.

The EliteBook Extremely G1i takes a distinct method. It options the identical enterprise options as all EliteBooks, however is constructed round Intel Lunar Lake chips for higher effectivity. I took a have a look at a pre-production mannequin, so I wasn’t capable of carry out the standard exams, however I got here away suspecting that the EliteBook Extremely G1i would possibly very nicely be on our checklist of the most effective enterprise laptops.

Specs and configuration

We have no pricing for the EliteBook Extremely G1i but. Given its business focus with further safety and administration options, it is prone to command a premium value.

design

HP has had a definite type with its laptops going again to the early days of the outdated Specter period. The general design cues are refined, however I might inform it was an HP once I pulled the EliteBook Extremely G1i out of the field. HP’s EliteBooks have by no means been as ornamental because the Spectres, with extra traces and low angles that enterprise customers would possibly need, however the edges are barely curved to be extra snug, the keyboard has the identical look and it’s identified from totally different instructions. It is a good look, on par with another premium laptop computer.

Construct high quality can also be wonderful in all metals. There is no flexing, bending or twisting, which has turn into just about the norm for any laptop computer costing greater than $1,000. So whereas the EliteBook Extremely G1i is nicely constructed, this side does not stand out as a lot. The hinge is a bit stiff, which means you want two fingers to open the lid. This may both contribute to – or detract from – the general sense of high quality relying in your perspective.

By way of measurement, the laptop computer has sufficiently small bezels to stay decently sized in width and depth, however not as small as Dell’s XPS lineup. The EliteBook Extremely G1i is skinny at simply 0.59 inches at its thickest level, however not the thinnest, and it is concerning the common 14-inch laptop computer at 2.6 kilos. So it’s totally transportable, however once more, it is not noticeable.

Keyboard and touchpad

HP has at all times had nice keyboards on its premium laptops, with giant keycaps with daring, extremely seen letters, loads of area between the keys, and high quality keys. This keyboard maintains that pattern with a brand new design that’s additional enhanced within the EliteBook collection. I discovered the switches on this mannequin a bit snappier than on the EliteBook X G1a, with a jerky motion on the backside. However that is being choosy.

The touchpad is a big haptic model that’s wonderful, as all HP haptic touchpads have been. It might be the haptic equal of Apple Drive Contact besides it lacks Apple’s pressure click on characteristic. Nonetheless, it is simply as correct and responsive as any Home windows contact.

A touchscreen is elective for individuals who like that enter possibility. I like having it, nevertheless it’s not a should have for most individuals.

Connection and internet cam

There are three USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 4, which is yet one more than common and a plus since one is required for charging. There’s additionally a USB-A port for legacy help. Wi-fi is totally updated.

The webcam is HP’s common high-resolution 9MP model, and HP has plenty of options that use the on-device capabilities of the quick Neural Processing Unit (NPU) included in Intel Lunar Lake chips to reinforce video conferencing options.

efficiency

I could not check efficiency, however we’ve some expertise with the Lunar Lake chips used within the EliteBook Extremely G1i. Whether or not it is the Core Extremely 5 or the Core Extremely 7, the Core Extremely Collection 2 chips have delivered constant — however not distinctive — productiveness efficiency. They’re ok for demanding productiveness customers, however supply no actual benefit to creators or avid gamers.

This issues as a result of the Qualcomm Snapdragon X chips have the identical effectivity targets, however are considerably sooner throughout the board. Nonetheless, they use Home windows on Arm, which could be extra problematic for business customers with functions written for Intel architectures.

Word that Lunar Lake chipset choices embrace Intel’s vPro options, which offer improved safety and system administration help. HP has its personal Wolf Safety suite, together with a number of plugins for enterprise environments, and this makes the EliteBook Extremely G1i an ideal possibility for giant firms. Any purchaser searching for larger efficiency ought to think about the EliteBook X G1a which makes use of a customized AMD Ryzen 9 AI chip that can be a lot sooner.

Battery life

The EliteBook Extremely G1i has a 64 watt-hour battery and a high-resolution OLED show. They match the Intel Lunar Lake chips which have demonstrated excellent effectivity in different laptops I’ve reviewed.

In our testing, Lunar Lake delivers battery life for each gentle and demanding duties that is nearer to Apple’s extremely environment friendly Arm-based silicon chips than Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X. They’re additionally extra environment friendly than earlier Home windows laptops, however lose a few of their benefits when working the CPU tougher.

You will get higher battery life with a MacBook anyway. However the EliteBook Extremely G1i seemingly gives ok battery life that you just will not be capable of inform the distinction.

Show

There’s a fundamental show possibility for the EliteBook Extremely G1i, which is available in contact and non-touch variations. It is a 14.0-inch 16:10 2.8K (2880 x 1800) OLED show working at 60Hz. Subjectively, it is pretty much as good as another OLED display screen I’ve used and examined, with shiny, dynamic colours and wealthy blacks.

I could not use my colorimeter to check it, however I doubt the show is pretty much as good as another OLED panel. That will do it fairly nicely, actually. Is it obligatory for a laptop computer that’s seemingly for use for primarily productiveness duties? Perhaps not. However it’s not like this is able to be a discount laptop computer if the show was simply IPS.

One other in a robust line of enterprise laptops

It appears to be like like HP has checked all of the bins for a premium enterprise laptop computer. Efficiency and battery life must be greater than good, the high-resolution OLED show will please any potential person, and HP’s suite of enterprise providers will attraction to firms of all sizes.

However we cannot know for positive till we’ve an opportunity to implement it via requirements. And we do not know the value, which is prone to be comparatively excessive given the goal enterprise customers.