HP EliteBook X G1a: A Deep Dive into the AI-Powered Business Powerhouse
The HP EliteBook X G1a initially presents itself as a standard-issue business laptop. Its unassuming, professional design, bathed in matte silver aluminum, whispers of boardrooms and spreadsheets rather than cutting-edge innovation. However, scratching beneath the surface reveals a device far more compelling than its exterior suggests. This laptop is among the first to embrace the new AMD Ryzen AI processors, making it one of the most intriguing business laptops of the year.
The heart of this machine is the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 processor, built upon AMD’s Zen 5 architecture. This chip is engineered to strike a delicate balance between raw processing power and energy efficiency, a crucial factor for mobile professionals who demand both performance and long battery life. But the real star of the show is the integrated Neural Processing Unit (NPU), boasting a staggering 55 TOPS (Tera Operations Per Second) of processing power. This makes the EliteBook X G1a one of the most potent AI-capable laptops available. While the full potential of this AI power remains largely untapped by readily available applications, the underlying capability positions the EliteBook X as future-proofed and ready to capitalize on emerging AI-driven software.
The EliteBook X G1a is aimed squarely at mobile professionals who require a dependable workhorse capable of handling demanding workloads and exceeding the typical workday’s battery life. It delivers on these promises with a robust combination of durable construction, sustainable materials, impressive audio fidelity, a comfortable and responsive keyboard, and a bright, vibrant display. And, of course, it incorporates a generous helping of AI sprinkled throughout its features and functionalities.
HP offers the EliteBook X G1a in three distinct configurations to cater to varying needs and budgets. The review unit, priced at $2,199, features a 2-GHz AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 processor, 32GB of LPDDR5x RAM, a spacious 1TB PCIe Gen4 NVMe TLC M.2 SSD, an integrated AMD Radeon 890M Graphics GPU, and a 14-inch, 1920 x 1200 WUXGA display. The base model, priced at $1,999, utilizes an AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360 CPU, 512GB of storage, and a higher-resolution 2.8K OLED panel. The top-tier model, costing $2,749, mirrors the specifications of the review unit but doubles the RAM to 64GB and incorporates the stunning 2.8K OLED display.
Staying true to its business-oriented nature, the EliteBook X G1a showcases a sophisticated design that is equally at home in a corporate office, a collaborative co-working space, or a bustling coffee shop. The chassis is crafted from matte silver-colored aluminum, giving it a premium feel. The lid is constructed using 80% recycled materials, demonstrating HP’s commitment to sustainability. The lid’s surface is a sleek expanse of matte silver, punctuated only by the gleaming HP logo.
The dark gray backlit keyboard is seamlessly integrated into the silver aluminum deck, flanked by the large top-firing speaker grilles. The palm rest offers ample space to comfortably accommodate most wrist sizes. A robust hinge connects the display to the deck, providing smooth and stable adjustments. While the side bezels surrounding the display are relatively slim, the top and bottom bezels could benefit from further reduction. However, the subtle HP emblem on the bottom bezel adds a touch of refined elegance.
Beyond its aesthetic appeal, the EliteBook X G1a is built to withstand the rigors of daily use. It has successfully passed 19 rigorous tests to achieve MIL-STD-810H certification. This signifies its ability to endure shocks, extreme temperatures, drops from reasonable heights, and operation at high altitudes.
Given its slim profile, the EliteBook X G1a offers a reasonable selection of ports. On the right side, you’ll find a Thunderbolt 4 port, a USB-A port, and a Kensington lock slot. The left side houses another Thunderbolt 4 port, along with a USB-C port, an HDMI 2.1 port, and a headset jack.
Weighing in at 3.3 pounds and measuring 12.3 x 8.5 x 0.36~0.52 inches, the EliteBook X G1a leans towards the heavier end of the ultraportable spectrum. It’s marginally lighter than the 14-inch MacBook Pro M4 (3.4 pounds) and the Dell XPS 14 (3.7 pounds). However, the Asus Zenbook S 14, at just 2.65 pounds, offers a significantly lighter alternative.
The integration of AMD’s new Ryzen AI chips marks a significant step forward. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 processor, based on the Zen 5 architecture and manufactured using a 4-nanometer process, features 12 cores and 24 threads. This potent combination enables smooth multitasking and efficient handling of demanding applications.
The chip’s Neural Processing Unit (NPU), powered by AMD’s XDNA 2 architecture and Ryzen AI technology, delivers impressive AI processing capabilities, reaching up to 55 TOPS. AMD claims that this NPU offers up to twice the power efficiency in AI workloads compared to previous generation chips. Complementing the CPU and NPU is the integrated AMD Radeon 890M Graphics, built on the RDNA 3.5 architecture, which optimizes graphics performance while minimizing power consumption.
The practical implication of this sophisticated APU is enhanced performance without compromising battery life. Real-world testing confirmed this, as the EliteBook X G1a effortlessly handled a demanding workload consisting of 50 to 65 tabs in Google Chrome, including GSuite applications, news websites, social media platforms, Google Analytics, multiple Gmail accounts, and streaming YouTube videos. Even under this heavy load, no lag was detected. Furthermore, the laptop performed admirably when editing videos in Adobe Premiere and photos in Photoshop.
Benchmark testing further validated the EliteBook X’s performance prowess. In CPU-intensive tasks, it consistently outperformed its PC competitors. In Geekbench 6, the laptop scored 2,819 on the single-core test and 14,483 on the multi-core test, surpassing the Zenbook S14 and XPS 14. However, it fell slightly short of the MacBook Pro 14’s scores. The EliteBook X completed a 4K video to 1080p transcoding task in 3 minutes and 48 seconds, outpacing its Intel-powered rivals but trailing the MacBook, which completed the task in 2 minutes and 29 seconds.
While not a dedicated gaming laptop, the EliteBook X G1a can handle some gaming. Performance on the 3DMark Time Spy benchmark fell slightly behind the Zenbook S14 and considerably behind the XPS 14 due to the latter having a dedicated graphics card.
The EliteBook X’s 14-inch, 1920 x 1200 non-touch display delivers bright and vibrant visuals. The anti-glare panel is sufficiently bright for comfortable viewing in direct sunlight.
HP’s acquisition of Poly (formerly Plantronics) has significantly enhanced the audio capabilities of its laptops. The quad-speaker system, with both top and side-firing speakers, produces a full and powerful sound that fills a room with ease. While the highs can sometimes sound a bit brassy and distorted, and the bass is slightly lacking, the overall audio quality is impressive for a laptop of this size.
The 5-megapixel webcam captures images and videos in 1920 x 1080p resolution. While the camera accurately captured the color in certain elements, such as multicolored hair, it sometimes produced washed-out colors in other areas, such as clothing.
The keyboard features generously sized keycaps, ample key spacing, bright backlighting, and firm feedback. The keys are also nicely spaced, with bright backlighting and firm feedback when typing. The keys are also nicely spaced, with bright backlighting and firm feedback when typing, making for a comfortable and efficient typing experience. A fingerprint reader is integrated into the power button for secure logins, and a dedicated Microsoft Copilot button provides quick access to Microsoft’s AI assistant. The touchpad is large, responsive, and supports a full range of multi-finger gestures.
The EliteBook X G1a incorporates a suite of security features called HP Wolf Security, which provides protection against malware and phishing attacks, monitors critical applications, and offers system restoration capabilities in the event of an infection. HP Sure Click acts as a virtual container, allowing users to open potentially risky files and websites without compromising the rest of the system.
HP also offers its own AI companion, currently in beta. This companion provides features similar to those found in Google Gemini and Microsoft Copilot, including document and email summarization and generation, a chatbot for answering questions and creating to-do lists, and AI-powered system management capabilities, such as controlling the camera and microphone.
The myHP and Support Assistant applications allow users to adjust performance settings, run system diagnostics, and contact technical support.
The EliteBook X G1a delivers excellent battery life. In real-world usage, the laptop lasted over 9 hours on a single charge with typical use. The PCMark 10 Modern Office battery test yielded a result of over 13 hours, which is impressive.
While the AI capabilities of the EliteBook X G1a are currently somewhat limited by the lack of compelling AI applications, the underlying hardware is well-positioned to take advantage of future AI-driven software.
Even without the AI features, the HP EliteBook X G1a is a highly capable business laptop. Its durable design, comprehensive security features, impressive performance, bright display, powerful speakers, and long battery life make it an excellent choice for mobile professionals. The HP EliteBook X G1a sets a new standard for business laptops in 2024.
