The "thin and light" mantra has dominated the laptop market for the last decade. Except for workstations and gaming laptops that focused mainly on GPU performance, most devices were made to be as thin and lightweight as possible. The more expensive the laptop model, the thinner and lighter it tended to be, that was the rule.
At HP's Imagine 2024 show, the US giant showed off a brand new commercial laptop that breaks with that rule. The new HP EliteBook X G1a is a premium 14-inch business laptop, not a workstation. Yet, it prioritizes performance over being as thin and lightweight as possible. We were able to get some hands-on time with the new HP business laptop.
First off: The HP EliteBook X is not a replacement for the existing HP EliteBook 1040 G11. That Meteor Lake based design is significantly more lightweight (1.18 kg vs. 1.49 kg) and thinner compared to the EliteBook X. When handling the device, it does not feel lightweight at all, being more like an older laptop design in that regard. The target group for this device according to HP: Analysts and developers, people who require a lot of CPU performance, but do not need a beefy GPU.
For this reason, instead of using the new Intel Lunar Lake CPUs that cut down on multicore performance for the sake of efficiency, HP is using AMD's Strix Point platform, which scales well with a higher power level. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX Pro 375 we found in the pre-production unit on display will be allowed to consume up to 40 W under sustained load - double the typical power limit of most business laptops. This is made possible by two large fans and a thicker chassis. Fittingly, the battery goes up to 74.5 Wh, considerably more than most other EliteBooks. Such a large battery ensures that the device lasts long, even if the power of the CPU is utilized often.
In terms of the physical design, the HP EliteBook X G1a takes a lot of its design cues from the EliteBook 1040 G11, albeit in a thicker package. The keyboard has the same layout and keycap design. With its springy action and well-defined actuation point, it provides an excellent typing experience, though the layout could be better. Beneath the keyboard is a large glass touchpad - HP uses a normal mechanical clickpad instead of a haptic one. It works well, though it can only be clicked in the lower half, as is typical for a mechanical solution.
The chassis is made out of unpainted silver aluminum. This material has the typical metallic premium feel to it, and it hides fingerprints well, but it is heavier than a comparable magnesium design. Stability is great, with the HP EliteBook X G1a providing an extremely stiff base unit - this feels like a true premium device in terms of build quality. A rather sad design decision: HP uses Torx screws instead of normal Philips head ones, making maintenance harder. At least there are only four screws, so getting the bottom cover off is not that hard. Also, the hinge of the EliteBook limits the opening angle to 160 degrees. At least, opening the screen with one hand is no issue.
A premium experience is also provided by components like the screen, webcam and the port selection. Here, HP offers three USB-C ports, two of which support Thunderbolt 4. Great: HP places a Thunderbolt port on either side. The webcam has a resolution of five megapixels. The image quality appeared to be good in our short time with the device, especially with good lighting.
在屏幕部门，惠普提供有两种选择，均具有传统的尖角：高品质 2.8K (2,880 x 1,800) OLED 光面面板或磨砂 WUXGA (1,920 x 1,200) 屏幕。这标志着 EliteBook X 与更常规的 EliteBook 系列的分离，因为 HP 放弃了 SureView 隐私面板 - 这是一个在大型企业中非常受欢迎的臭名昭著的选项，但会对用户体验产生负面影响。同样，惠普也跳过了商务笔记本电脑通常提供的 5G 或 4G 选项。
HP EliteBook X G1a 将在 12 月推出时成为第一款 AMD 独有的 EliteBook 笔记本电脑设计 - 但这并不是一成不变的保持这种状态。从命名就可以看出：EliteBook X G1a，其中 A 代表 AMD。当然，我们也有可能在某个时候看到 HP EliteBook X G1i，尽管惠普在这方面没有任何消息可宣布。
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