ZDNET’s key takeaways
- HP’s 14-inch EliteBook X G1a options AMD’s newest Ryzen AI Professional chip, beginning at $2,099.
- It is a highly effective enterprise laptop computer with plenty of I/O, a glossy type issue, and cozy keyboard.
- It is costly, and may run heat beneath a heavy workload.
extra shopping for decisions
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HP rebranded its laptop lineup final 12 months, renaming its high-performance business devices to the EliteBook X sequence. The primary laptop computer from this sequence I’ve examined is the 14-inch HP EliteBook X G1a, a powerful enterprise laptop computer with rather a lot to love, however a couple of concerns that make it distinctive.
It is a enterprise laptop computer geared toward professionals, and it goals to mix the connectivity of a ThinkPad, the glossy type issue of a MacBook, and HP’s signature minimalist, if non-descript, design.
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There are a couple of configurations of this laptop computer, probably the most premium that includes an AMD Ryzen AI 9 processor — one of the cutting-edge chips available on the market proper now — and an OLED display, however the one I examined had the AMD Ryzen AI 7 Professional 360 processor, 32GB of RAM, and a 14-inch matte WUXGA IPS show.
On the floor, it is minimalist and reasonably corporate-looking, with a matte WUXGA show and an plentiful collection of ports. It passes the one-finger take a look at and opens as much as a reasonably commonplace show with 400 nits of brightness, 60Hz refresh fee, and a compact and environment friendly keyboard.
One in every of its greatest options is the keyboard. It is totally silent, with a quick tactile really feel and a key journey distance that (nearly) feels mechanical. The keys are spacious and easy, and the backlighting is efficient and well-designed. Equally, the trackpad is responsive and premium, even when the clicks really feel a bit of on the “heavy” aspect.
I do want it had a haptic trackpad, nonetheless, as it might go a good distance towards making it extra premium, particularly as a tool geared towards a complicated demographic: enterprise leaders and tech consultants. When you think about the worth of this laptop computer, it looks as if a missed alternative.
Throughout my testing, I discovered this laptop computer actually satisfying to make use of for lengthy days at work, and a giant a part of that was on account of its well-designed ergonomics. Not like different machines, which require the consumer to regulate to daring or unorthodox design decisions, the EliteBook X G1a matches like a well-known glove proper off the bat, making it a stable long-day-at-work kind of laptop computer.
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If the keyboard and trackpad contribute to an satisfying bodily type, the plentiful I/O choice solidifies its practicality. You have acquired an HDMI, three USB-C (one Thunderbolt 4 on both sides — thanks), a USB-A port, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a Kensington lock slot. That is, for my part, probably the greatest combos of ports you may ask for in 2025; the one factor that might make it higher can be an SD card reader.
It could actually actually pivot to inventive duties, as nicely, as video modifying in industry-standard packages like Da Vinci Resolve was a breeze. By the identical token, gaming on this laptop computer is feasible, however I would not suggest this as a devoted gaming machine with the 60Hz show and its warmth dissipation (extra on that later).
Whereas testing, I encountered a hiccup when connecting to an exterior monitor with the Thunderbolt 4 port. Each shows would flicker and restart intermittently, even after driver and Home windows updates.
Points like this will consequence from any variety of issues, together with issues with the working system, {hardware}, and even the USB-C wire itself, so I do not essentially fault the EliteBook. Nevertheless, this was the primary time it occurred to me after utilizing dozens of laptops with that connection and monitor.
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A busy workday prevented me from troubleshooting for an prolonged time period, however that is the place the beneficiant port choice got here in clutch, permitting me to easily swap to an HDMI connection. It is an ideal instance of the place redundant I/O entry can resolve tech issues, particularly within the work setting.
When it comes to efficiency, the EliteBook X G1a is quick and responsive, with benchmarking numbers that again its declare of being a strong enterprise machine.
One factor I seen throughout testing the EliteBook X G1a, nonetheless, was that it ran a bit hotter than different laptops in its class, kicking on the followers throughout sustained workloads in Excessive Efficiency mode. When it isn’t being pushed, nonetheless, it is silent and funky, main me to imagine there’s merely a threshold right here with the {hardware}. At no level did I see any proof of throttling, nonetheless.
Persevering with its specialization within the skilled sphere, the EliteBook X G1a encompasses a 74.5Whr battery, which is on the big dimension for a laptop computer of this dimension, incomes it simply over 11 hours throughout our commonplace battery take a look at. That is good, certain, but it surely did not fairly translate to the spectacular length I used to be anticipating. Notably whenever you examine this to rivals.
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It is about the identical period of time we acquired when testing the MacBook Pro M4, though that laptop computer is cheaper and, to not point out, a MacBook. Conversely, HP’s personal OmniBook X 14 with the Snapdragon X Elite was an absolute marathon machine, incomes over 20 hours.
In fact, the {hardware} on the OmniBook is a little more modest, however its 65Wh battery overperforms in a manner that may’t be ignored. As I spent extra time with this laptop computer, nonetheless, I got here to know its supposed use case as a tool that trades within the ultrathin and lightweight type issue for uncooked energy, making it a sturdy, dependable workhorse.
ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation
There isn’t any scarcity of skinny and lightweight laptops with marathon batteries. The HP EliteBook X G1a is, comparatively, extra targeted on offering dependable muscle throughout working hours. The beefy {hardware} takes full benefit of the big battery, the plentiful ports maintain your choices open, and the snug keyboard acts as an ergonomic command heart so you may hunker down and get work completed.
Nevertheless, all that {hardware} can run heat when it is pushed, and this isn’t an inexpensive laptop computer. When you’re on the lookout for a 14-inch machine that is totally dedicated to the enterprise use case, it is a stable possibility, however remember the fact that it is fairly specialised for that position.
When you’re on the lookout for the same laptop computer for rather less, I like to recommend the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 — one other workhorse laptop with plenty of connectivity and the identical processor across the $1,500 mark.
