HP Unveils EliteBook X G1a: A Powerful AI-Focused Business Laptop

HP EliteBook X G1a vs EliteBook 1040 G11: Is the new generation a worthy successor?

HP EliteBook X G1a With the latest and greatest AMD Ryzen AI 300 processors, the HP EliteBook X G1a is a major upgrade from its predecessor, adding new AI capabilities that are only possible on the latest hardware. ProsAMD Ryzen AI processors are faster and more efficientIt's smaller in almost every dimensionAluminum build feels more premium ConsIt's heavierFeatures like cellular support and a privacy screen haven't been confirmedIt's only coming in December See at HP HP EliteBook 1040 G11 The HP EliteBook 1040 G11 packs Intel Core Ultra Series 1 processors, which are very capable, but not quite on the same level as the latest and greatest. You're still getting a top-notch experience in a premium chassis, though. ProsGreat performance with Intel Core Ultra Series 1Plenty of configuration options similar to the EliteBook X, plus some extrasYou can buy it right now ConsBattery life and performance on battery won't be as impressiveLess maximum RAM $2384 at HP HP is in the process of rebranding its entire laptop lineup, and its business laptops are also seeing some changes with new additions. Recently, the company introduced the new HP EliteBook X G1a, which is basically a successor to the EliteBook 1040 G11 that launched earlier in the year. It may seem early for a new version of a laptop, but there have been major developments in the PC industry, so this new model is a bigger upgrade than you might think. But just how much of an upgrade is it? We're here to help you decide if it's worth waiting for this new model or if you'll be fine with the previous one. HP EliteBook X G1a vs EliteBook 1040 G11: Pricing, availability, and specs Right off the bat, it's important to note that the HP EliteBook X G1a isn't available yet at the time of writing this article. The laptop will be launched in December, and even the pricing is still a mystery. However, you should expect it to be fairly pricy, as all ElitebBooks tend to be. Case in point, the HP EliteBook 1040 G11 is still a relatively pricy machine. There are various configurations available at different websites, but the customizable model, which you can tailor to your specific needs in terms of specs, starts at $2,384 on HP's website. However, you can find pre-built models going for as low as $1,399, depending on sales. HP EliteBook X G1aHP EliteBook 1040 G11CPUAMD Ryzen AI SeriesUp to Intel Core Ultra 165HGPUUp to AMD Radeon 890MIntel integrated graphics or Arc integrated graphicsDisplay typeIPS or OLED, 16:10 aspect ratio, up to 400 nits, up to 100% DCI-P3, optional touch60Hz IPS LCD or 120Hz OLED, touch or non-touch, up to 800 nitsDisplay (Size, Resolution)14-inch, up t0 2880x180014-inches, 1920x1200 or 2880x1800RAMUp to 64GB DDR5-8000Up to 32GB LPDDR5x 7467MHz (soldered), dual-channelStorageUp to 2TB SSDUp to 2TB M.2 PCIe SSDBattery74.5WhrUp to 68WhrPorts2x Thunderbolt 4, 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C, 1x USB 3,2 Gen 2 Type-A, 1x HDMI 2.1, 3.5mm combo audio jack2x Thunderbolt 4, 1x USB Type-C, 1x USB Type-A, 1x 3.5mm audio jack, 1x HDMI 2.1Operating SystemWindows 11Up to Windows 11 ProWebcam5MP webcam with IR5MP IRWi-Fi connectivityMediaTek MT7925 Wi-Fi 7Up to Intel BE200 Wi-Fi 7 BluetoothBluetooth 5.4Up to Bluetooth 5.4Dimensions12.29x8.45x0.35-0.52 inches (312.2x214.75x8.98-13.17 mm)12.36 x 8.66 x 0.41-0.59 inches (313.9mm x 219.9mm x 10.5-14.9 mm)Weight3.3 pounds (1.499kg)From 2.57 pounds (1.18kg)SpeakersFour stereo speakers, audio by Poly StudioQuad speakersPriceTBAStarts at $2837 Performance AMD Ryzen AI is on a different level Source: AMD Performance is the area where you're likely to see the biggest gap between these two laptops. The HP EliteBook 1040 G11 is powered by Intel's Core Ultra Series 1 processors, also known as Meteor Lake, and it's pretty good overall. We reviewed this laptop, and it performed very well for all kinds of day-to-day tasks, so you're not going to be disappointed by it. However, the EliteBook X G1a is powered by the new AMD Ryzen AI 300 series processors, which have changed things very significantly. Like we've seen with laptops powered by Intel Core Ultra Series 2 or the Qualcomm Snapdragon X series, AMD Ryzen AI 300 processors are promising far better battery life than anything we've seen in the past, while also offering great performance. Efficiency is a bigger deal than ever with processors coming in the second half of this year, and even though Meteor Lake is recent, it feels sort of outdated. We don't have reviews of our own just yet, but looking at the average performance on Geekbench 6, it looks like AMD Ryzen AI 300 is a good bit faster. Intel Core Ultra 7 165H (EliteBook 1040 G11) AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 (average) Geekbench 6 (single/multi) 2,394 / 12,642 2,565 / 13,186 More importantly, the AMD processors should be able to hold that performance better on battery power, unlike the EliteBook 1040 G11, while having better battery life in general. AMD Ryzen AI 300 processors also have a massive boost in AI performance, particularly through the NPU, which is another potential benefit of the new model. The HP EliteBook X G1a will be a Copilot+ PC when it gets updated later this year, with features like new Windows Studio Effects, live captions with translation, and Recall sometime in the future. Microsoft is working on many new Copilot+ features, too, so there's a bit to look forward to there, while the EliteBook 1040 G11 will be left behind in terms of AI features. Otherwise, the laptops are mostly similar, though the EliteBook X G1a can be equipped with more RAM, and it's faster RAM at that, so things may feel a bit snappier overall. Display They're pretty similar Close On the other hand, the display will be very similar between these two models. In fact, the configurations available here are pretty much the same for both laptops. You have a 14-inch display with a 16:10 aspect ratio on both, and in both cases, you get a base model with an IPS panel and Full HD+ resolution, or 1920x1200. You also have the option to upgrade to a 2.8K OLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate and touch support. The main difference we're seeing right now is that the EliteBook 1040 G11 has an option to add an HP SureView privacy screen, which makes it impossible to see the contents on the display at an angle, preventing snooping from bystanders in public. This option hasn't been mentioned for the EliteBook X, though it would be surprising to not see it show up at some point. Otherwise, these two laptops are nearly identical in this regard. The EliteBook X G1a seems to have smaller bezels, though, since the laptop itself is smaller despite having a similar-sized screen. Both laptops also have four stereo speakers, so the audio experience should also be similar. Likewise, both have 5MP webcams with Windows Hello support, so there's not much to say there, either. Design and ports The new one is smaller, but heavier Close Business laptops never have the most interesting designs, and that certainly holds true with these two. Both EliteBook models are about as plain as it gets, coming in a simple silver colorway that should look good in any environment. The differences here are in the details, particularly in terms of size. The EliteBook X G1a is smaller in just about every dimension, which indicates we're looking at smaller bezels all around, making this easier to slip into a bag. However, interestingly enough, the laptop is actually a good bit heavier, coming in at 3.3 pounds, as opposed to 2.57 pounds on the previous model. That's because the EliteBook 1040 was made of magnesium, which is a much lighter metal. The new EliteBook X is made of aluminum, which is heavier and feels more premium. The ports are very similar, too. Both laptops have two Thunderbolt 4 ports, a regular USB-C port, one USB Type-A port, and HDMI 2.1, plus a 3.5mm headphone jack. Even wireless communication is similar, with both laptops sporting Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 support, though the modems themselves are different. However, the EliteBook 1040 G11 is the only one with confirmed support for cellular connectivity. Again, since the EliteBook X is still a ways off from launch, it's possible we'll see it become available at some point, but right now, that's an advantage of the existing model. Which one should you buy? The EliteBook X is probably better, but you'll be fine Since these two laptops are so similar in so many ways, the deciding factor between the two comes down to performance, and in tht regard, the upcoming HP EliteBook X G1a certainly seems like a notable upgrade. The AMD processors inside are very promising, and they should be a big leap in performance and efficiency compared to Intel's Meteor Lake. But if you've already bought the EliteBook 1040 G11, or you want a new laptop right now, you won't be missing out on anything that crazy by buying it. Especially if you want cellular connectivity or a privacy display, since those features aren't guaranteed to be coming to the EliteBook X. Either way, at this moment, the EliteBook 1040 G11 is your only option, and as such, it's the best option. HP EliteBook 1040 G11 9/ 10 The HP EliteBook 1040 G11 is a very capable laptop with excellent performance provided by the Intel Core Ultra Series 1 processors, and wrapped in a lightweight design. It's not as fast or efficient as the newer model, but it's available right now and it's still more than enough for daily work. $2384 at HP$1562 at B&H If you can afford to wait, or you're reading this after the EliteBook X has launched, you can check it out below. It's likely a better machine overall. HP EliteBook X G1a The HP EliteBook X G1a is likely the better laptop in terms of performance, but it's only coming in December, and it's missing some configuration options that the EliteBook 1040 G11 has. It's also heavier, so it's not as easy to carry with you. See at HP

First look: HP's EliteBook X G1a made me a believer in AI PCs

Announced at an event at HP's headquarters in Palo Alto last month, the EliteBook X G1a is the most powerful commercial AI PC to date, packing a 55 TOPS NPU. That NPU is part of the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375, and if you want it, you have to buy HP. Right now, the company has an exclusive on the chip, and the rest of the market maxes out at 50 TOPS. I've mostly been pretty negative about AI PCs, and why shouldn't I be? Most of the efforts we've seen this far have been pretty lame. The first-gen products with 10-ish TOPS NPUs had Windows Studio Effects as their hero feature, which wasn't too impressive when any meeting software can do all of that stuff anyway. Copilot+ sounds great, but since Recall got pushed back, the leftover features haven't been exciting. HP has me convinced, because while I'm still not a believer in Copilot+, Microsoft's first-party stuff isn't all there is. This company is going all-in on AI, and it's a unique value proposition compared to other OEMs, which are relying on other software vendors to make AI meaningful. HP sent me a pre-production unit of the EliteBook X for a preview. It had no input on the contents of this article, other than that benchmarking of this unit is not allowed. A full review will come later when production units are available. HP EliteBook X G1a Specs CPU AMD Ryzen AI Series GPU Up to AMD Radeon 890M Display type IPS or OLED, 16:10 aspect ratio, up to 400 nits, up to 100% DCI-P3, optional touch Display (Size, Resolution) 14-inch, up t0 2880x1800 RAM Up to 64GB DDR5-8000 Storage Up to 2TB SSD Battery 74.5Whr Charge speed 100W charger Ports 2x Thunderbolt 4, 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C, 1x USB 3,2 Gen 2 Type-A, 1x HDMI 2.1, 3.5mm combo audio jack Operating System Windows 11 Webcam 5MP webcam with IR Cellular connectivity n/a Wi-Fi connectivity MediaTek MT7925 Wi-Fi 7 Bluetooth Bluetooth 5.4 Form factor Clamshell Dimensions 12.29x8.45x0.35-0.52 inches (312.2x214.75x8.98-13.17 mm) Weight 3.3 pounds (1.499kg) Speakers Four stereo speakers, audio by Poly Studio Colors Natural Silver Price TBA Expand The hardware It's still just a great laptop Close HP overhauled its branding this year, a bit less so on the business side. However, there won't be an EliteBook 1000 series anymore. That's replaced with EliteBook X. It's deeper than that though, because the EliteBook X G1a isn't quite the successor to the EliteBook 1040 G11, a product that I recently called the only Meteor Lake laptop still worth buying. Related HP EliteBook 1040 G11 review: The only Meteor Lake laptop you should buy HP's business laptops can't be beat Indeed, the EliteBook X is powered by AMD Ryzen AI processors, it's heavier, it has a different keyboard, it's made of metal, there are no 5G options, and there are fewer display options. I asked a lot of questions about this, trying to get to the bottom about why HP would change so much of such a great product. The answer, like I just said, is that this actually isn't a direct successor to the EliteBook 1040 G11. AMD Ryzen AI 300 isn't just about the NPU; it's the most powerful mobile CPU on the market right now. This product is made for people that want that kind of power, so with that in mind, some of the changes start to make sense. If that's not for you, there will be something like an EliteBook X G1i (the 'i' is for Intel) coming later, maybe a Flip model like HP did with OmniBook. That additional power means it weighs more, coming in at 3.3 pounds, about two-thirds of a pound heavier than the EliteBook 1040 G11. And it's made of aluminum, a more premium yet heavier material than magnesium. Close The keyboard is different, one of the first things I noticed at the HP Imagine event. Seriously, someone at Lenovo once called me "the keyboard whisperer" because I'll notice differences that they thought wouldn't make a difference. So yes, I noticed the new 1.5mm keys instantly. They replace 1.3mm keys, but it doesn't feel very different. This is still one of the best keyboards on the market, something that's underrated among laptop OEMs, considering that it's our primary input mechanism. As usual, the keys wobble less than anything else, and they require a comfortable amount of force to press them. HP is also using its new two-tone design, which I love to see. The light silver chassis is complemented by the dark gray keyboard, making for an overall pleasant aesthetic. All-in-all, this is just a great laptop. It's got a best-in-class keyboard, a wonderful webcam (which I'll talk more about in a bit, but HP is so far ahead of its competition on webcams), and a powerful CPU. AI features HP is ahead of the competition The HP EliteBook X G1a is the only business laptop to have a 55 TOPS NPU, and it's going to stay that way for a while, since the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX Pro 375 that's under the hood is exclusive to HP right now. But the non-PRO version of that chip first launched in the HP OmniBook Ultra, and let me tell you, when the company launched this product, it barely talked about it. At an event in New York, the firm talked up AI capabilities and a 55 TOPS NPU, with no mention of which chip was being used. It wasn't until a Q&A later when someone asked what was under the hood, and an HP exec simply said, "AMD". The problem was that this processor wasn't announced yet; at the time, AMD's public messaging was that Ryzen AI 300 gets up to 50 TOPS. The point is, HP's messaging is all about AI, which is good, because Microsoft seems to be pretty bad at it. When it comes to reviewing Copilot+ PCs, I've been pretty consistent that you should get them because they're great PCs, but not because you want Microsoft's suite of on-device AI features. Cocreator, Windows Studio Effects, and Live Captions aren't particularly useful, and Recall has yet to see the light of day (it's coming soon, along with a second wave of Copilot+ features). That's all fine and good, because Copilot+ isn't ready for x86 yet anyway. But Microsoft's features aren't all there is for AI, and as it turns out, some of this stuff is actually useful. Introducing AI Companion, an app that HP is offering on its next-gen AI PCs. It has three tabs: Discover, Analyze, and Perform. Perform manages performance settings, as you'd expect, and you can use natural language to say what you want. But what I'm really digging is the Analyze feature. I work with a lot of press kits, and some of them are pretty large. Often, when I'm writing about a range of products, I'm bouncing between a bunch of spec sheets, and digging through various folders in a multi-gigabyte package. With AI Companion, I now take all of the PDFs in those press kits and drop them in the app. For this example, I used the HP Imagine press kit, which had a total of 38 (!) PDFs. So now, when writing an article like this and I'm asking myself, "Hey, what was the weight of the EliteBook X again?" I no longer have to pull up the spec sheet. I just ask the AI Companion because it knows everything about the products I'm writing about. It's fantastic. I'm not pretending that these features are unique or that no other AI analyzes documents, but AI Companion comes with the device, it's free, and none of your data leaves the device. That means that if I'm working with embargoed press kits, I don't have to worry about it getting uploaded and breaking an NDA. That's not all. Poly Camera Pro takes HP's already-excellent webcam to another level. Frankly, it puts Windows Studio Effects to shame. Not only can it blur your background or even remove it, using the NPU to save power, it can apply a whole range of effects to your webcam. And these are controls like brightness, saturation, and contrast, not filters that make you look animated like we see from Copilot+. You can use overlays too, in case you want to add your name and information on top of your video. What HP is doing is good, sensible use of an NPU. For a lot of other companies out there, I feel like they're just saying, "We have to do something with AI!" It feels to me like HP actually took a step back and thought about what would be useful in improving the lives and productivity of its users. And what's nuts is that no one else is doing anything like this. HP just seems to be so ahead of the curve on a lot of things, and it's just making some of the best laptops right now. Pricing for the HP EliteBook X isn't available yet, and it'll be on sale in December. HP EliteBook X G1a See at HP

HP EliteBook X first look: the fastest AI laptop? | Digital Trends

HP is in the process of redoing its product lines, with the OmniBook lineup taking over all of its consumer machines including budget, midrange, premium, and gaming laptops. The EliteBook remains as its business laptop line, and the new EliteBook X G1a is the latest machine that leverages AMD's Ryzen AI series of chipsets in the "Next Gen AI PC" initiative. The EliteBook X G1a introduces several new features aimed at those tasks that businesspeople want the most, and I received a preproduction unit to take a look at. I can't provide benchmarks or test some of the more advanced features that aren't available yet. But the EliteBook X G1a is a tantalizing vision. Recommended Videos Design HP makes some good-looking and high-quality laptops. The EliteBook X G1a is a prime example. It's solid as a rock all around, with no bending, flexing, or twisting in the lid, keyboard deck, or chassis. And it all seems crafted from chunks of aluminum in a way that's reminiscent of of Apple's MacBooks. The silver color scheme is elegant and refined, with a chrome HP logo that stands out without being mere bling. Get your weekly teardown of the tech behind PC gaming ReSpec Subscribe Check your inbox! Privacy Policy The hinge is smooth when opening the lid with one hand, and it stays firmly in place. It might be a pre-production unit, but it doesn't need much adjusting. I like the look and feel quite a bit, and I'm sure HP's business market will agree. I don't have full specs for the laptop. But, it's not the thinnest or lightest 14-inch laptop. In fact, it's a little chunky compared to something like the incredibly thin MacBook Air M3 that's closer to a 14-inch than a 13-inch laptop. I don't mind it, but it's not going to lead its class. The display bezels are small enough to keep its width and depth in check, but the Dell XPS 14 remains the best in that department. I also liked the slightly rounded edges on the palm rest. That made it comfortable for longer typing sessions, like writing up this first look. Overall, I found the same kind of fastidious design that I've always perceived in Apple products. Keyboard and touchpad HP also makes good keyboards. Its Spectre keyboards have always been among my favorites on Windows laptops, coming very close to my overall favorite, Apple's Magic Keyboard. And they put a great keyboard in the EliteBook X G1a. First, the keycap size and key spacing is perfect, and HP put high-contrast lettering that stands out against the dark gray keys. That makes the lettering easier to see even without the backlighting turned on, and it's an accessibility feature for those with poor vision. Then, the switches are deep enough at 1.5mm, and they're precise and snappy. They're also consistent across the entire keyboard, including the space bar that can be too loose on some keyboards. The touchpad is mechanical, which is a bit of a disappointment. Haptic touchpads are becoming more common on premium laptops, and HP has a great one on the Spectre x360 14. I wish it were available here. The touchpad is plenty large and its buttons have quiet, confident clicks. So it's a good mechanical touchpad. The display is touch-enabled, which I like. Overall, input options are excellent even if I wish the touchpad were a haptic version. Connectivity and webcam The EliteBook X G1a has plenty of connectivity, with a couple of Thunderbolt 4 ports, USB-C and USB-A, and an HDMI port. Again, I don't know all the specs, including wireless connectivity, but I have no doubt it's up-to-date and that cellular connectivity will be an option. Note that the inclusion of Thunderbolt 4 is a little surprising given the AMD chipset. That's usually not a thing. The webcam is a 5MP version, but it's not just a high-res webcam. It includes on-chip AI processing that enables enhanced user presence detection that, for example, blurs the screen automatically when two people are in view. There's also the usual AI-enhanced functionality we expect with Microsoft's various Copilot+ features, and Poly Camera Pro that further enhances video quality and performance using the neural processing unit (NPU). Performance HP uses a custom version of AMD's Ryzen AI 9, specifically the R9-12c PRO that's based on the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 PRO. It enables the kind of security and manageability that enterprises demand, along with the sheer power of the Ryzen AI 9 chipset. I don't have details on the chipset and I can't publish any benchmarks. The custom aspect is that the HP-specific chipset has faster on-device AI thanks to an NPU that runs at up to 55 tera operations per second (TOPS). That's faster than any other chipset available today, and that means faster AI processing with the efficiency of the NPU compared to using the GPU. There's also custom RAM that runs at up to 8,000 MT/s, faster than you'll see from other AMD chipsets. That, too, helps speed up AI processing. And HP will be introducing its AI Companion software that will enable a variety of AI features above and beyond what Copilot+ provides. AI Companion includes Analyze that lets you dig into files, along with other features that have yet to be fully explained. All of the features will run on-device, though, keeping things theoretically safer and more private and using the NPU to maintain efficiency. HP also updated its SmartSense feature to use AI to better manage performance and fan speed. Now, there are just two options available -- SmartSense and Best Performance -- meaning that users won't need to spend as much time managing the EliteBook X G1a's performance, heat, and noise. We'll have to wait until we can run benchmarks to determine how effective the new software is in managing things. Finally, as a member of HP's business lineup, the EliteBook X G1a has Wolf Security for enhanced security and privacy. Battery life The battery here is reasonably hefty at 74.5 watt-hours. That should be plenty to power the laptop for a reasonably long time regardless of the display choice. But, once again, it's not something I can test and report on. AMD's Ryzen AI 9 chipset hasn't been as efficient as some others, though, such as Intel's Lunar Lake that we saw in the Asus Zenbook S 14. Display and audio There will be two display options with the EliteBook X G1a. There's a 14.0-inch WUXGA (1920 x 1200) IPS panel and a 2.8K (2880 x 1800) OLED touch display. The latter runs at up to 120Hz, and it's the one on my pre-production unit. I can't test the display, but it seems to offer the same bright, dynamic colors and inky blacks that I expect out of a typical OLED display. The IPS panel will offer better battery life but much worse image quality. Audio is provided by a four-speaker setup -- two downward-firing and two upward-firing. Dual microphones use AI Noise Reduction to improve quality. An intriguing laptop for business users At this point, the most I can say about the EliteBook X G1a is that it's an incredibly intriguing laptop with a host of features and functionality that could make for an elite (no pun intended) laptop for business users. It's drop-dead gorgeous and solidly built, even for a pre-production machine. And it promises great performance and AI integration. Of course, the devil will be in the details, including pricing, and those will have to wait until it's formally introduced. In the meantime, businesses should be looking into the EliteBook X G1a for its 2025 procurements.