HP Elitebook Ultra G1q Review: Windows Battery Leader

Say what you need concerning the inventive energy of AI within the new Microsoft Copilot+ PCs, with its new EliteBook Extremely G1q, HP says, “Why not take it to the workplace?”

It is a laptop computer that’s all enterprise—an “atmospheric blue” (not black) 14-inch clamshell, with nothing in the best way of design frills except for a silvery HP brand on high and a row of half-height perform keys which can be a bit lighter in coloration. Oh, and there’s a child blue energy button! By no means accuse Hewlett-Packard of not understanding easy methods to have slightly enjoyable, even within the nook workplace.

The characteristic checklist here’s a acquainted one for the Copilot+ PC market, although the specs on this machine are surprisingly entry-level. The slower Snapdragon X Elite X1E78100 serves because the CPU, backed by 16 GB of RAM and a 512-GB solid-state drive. The 14-inch touchscreen decision sits at an oddball 2,240 x 1,400 pixels, a step down from the two,880 x 1,800 decision that has change into the prevailing customary for machines with a 16:10 facet ratio. Port choice isn’t spectacular both, with two USB-C ports (one specified at Thunderbolt-class 40 Gbps, the opposite at 10 Gbps) and a single USB-A port. Distinction that with the Asus Vivobook S 15, which has two quick USB-C ports, two USB-A ports, HDMI, and a microSD card reader.

At 18 millimeters thick, the machine cuts a svelte profile, however its 3-pound weight is on the excessive finish for 14-inch laptops. That’s certainly partly because of the robust aluminum chassis—50 % recycled, and the keycaps are made of fifty % plastic—and it’s additionally clear that the laptop computer has been designed to be overwhelmed up slightly bit: tossed in a shoulder bag, abused on an airplane’s tray desk. If nothing else, the EliteBook definitely feels sturdy sufficient to hit the street with you with out fear of harm.

Alas, the pretty low-end specs below the hood beget disappointing efficiency, and throughout the board, the EliteBook turned within the lowest benchmark scores amongst Copilot+ PCs I’ve examined up to now. The delta isn’t large—2 % slower than the Microsoft Surface Pro on broad CPU-focused workloads, and slower by as much as 10 % on most graphics checks—however it’s measurable, and generally noticeable on duties reminiscent of Stay Captions, which had bother maintaining with faster-moving speech. As anticipated, the EliteBook has the identical lingering compatibility points as different Qualcomm Snapdragon-based laptops that make the most of the ARM structure, which I explain in broader detail here.