While HP has completely revamped its consumer laptop computer , with its budget , premium , and gambling laptop computer all falling under the new OmniBook brand name , it has hold the EliteBooke Maya Lin to designate its commercial-grade automobile . The first was theEliteBook X G1a , which used a custom AMD chipset for enhanced performance and particularly tight on - equipment AI .

The EliteBook Ultra G1i takes a different approaching . It features the same enterprise features as all EliteBooks , but it ’s built around Intel ’s Lunar Lake chipsets for greater efficiency . I took a flavor at a preproduction poser , and so I could n’t melt down the common tests , but I came away surmise that the EliteBook Ultra G1i might very well make our leaning of thebest byplay laptops .

Specs and configuration

We do n’t have any pricing yet for the EliteBook Ultra G1i . break its commercial-grade centering with special security and management feature film , it ’s likely to garner a exchange premium Leontyne Price .

Design

HP has had a distinct way with its laptops going back to the get-go of the older Spectre era . The overall innovation cues are subtle , but I can tell it ’s an HP when I perpetrate the EliteBook Ultra G1i of the boxful . HP ’s EliteBooks have never been as decorative as Spectres , with more of the muted lines and angle that business exploiter might want , but the edges are a bit curving to be more comfortable , the keyboard has the same look , and it ’s familiar from various steering . It ’s a good look , equal to any other premium laptop computer .

The build caliber is also excellent in all metal . There ’s no bending , flexing , or twisting , which has become moderately much the norm for any laptop that costs more than $ 1,000 . So while the EliteBook Ultra G1i is well - built , that expression does n’t stand out quite as much . The flexible joint is a bit stiff , which means you need two hands to get to the hat . That can either contribute — or detract from — the overall feeling of quality depending upon your decimal point if view .

In term of sizing , the laptop has modest enough bezel to remain nicely sized in width and astuteness , but not as small as Dell ’s XPS batting order . The EliteBook Ultra G1i is lean at just 0.59 inches at its heavyset item , but not the thinnest , and it ’s around the 14 - inch laptop computer norm at 2.6 pounds . So , it ’s highly portable , but again , it does n’t really remain firm out .

Keyboard and touchpad

HP has always had great keyboards on its premium laptop computer , with large keycaps sport sheer , extremely seeable inscription , piles of key spatial arrangement , and quality substitution . This keyboard maintain that trend with a new blueprint that ’s been further refined in the EliteBook series . I did find the switching on this model to be a little less snappy than on the EliteBook X G1a , with a bit of an abrupt bottoming action . But that ’s being picky .

The touchpad is a tumid haptic version that ’s splendid , as have been all of HP ’s haptic touchpads . It would be the adequate of Apple Force Touch tactile touchpads except it miss Apple ’s Force click lineament . It ’s as precise and responsive as any Windows touchpad , however .

A cutaneous senses showing is optional for those who wish that input option . I do like to have it , but it ’s not a must - have for most people .

Connectivity and webcam

There are three USB - C with Thunderbolt 4 ports , which is one more than common and a plus given that one is needed for charge . There ’s also a USB - A port for legacy documentation . Wireless connectivity is fully up to particular date .

The webcam is HP ’s common high - resolution 9MP version , and HP has a number of features that employ the on - gimmick capabilities of the fast Neural Processing Unit ( NPU ) included in the Intel Lunar Lake chipsets to raise videoconferencing features .

Performance

I could n’t test performance , but we have some experience with the Lunar Lake chipsets used in the EliteBook Ultra G1i . Whether it ’s the Core Ultra 5 or the Core Ultra 7 , the Core Ultra Series 2 chipsets have furnish substantial — but not prominent — productiveness functioning . They ’re good enough for demanding productivity users , but extend no tangible reward for creators or gamers .

That matters because the Qualcomm Snapdragon X chipsets have the same efficiency goals , but are substantially faster across the display panel . They run Windows on Arm , however , which might be more problematical for commercial users with program written for Intel computer architecture .

Note that the Lunar Lake chipset alternative include Intel ’s vPro feature , which provide for enhanced security measures and management organization reinforcement . HP has its Wolf Security rooms , along with a host of plug - Indiana for initiative environments , and that makes the EliteBook Ultra G1i a corking pick for large companies . Any buyers look for higher performance should consider the EliteBook X G1a that expend a custom AMD Ryzen 9 AI chipset that ’s stick to be a lot quicker .

Battery life

The EliteBook Ultra G1i has a 64 watt - hour barrage and a high-pitched - res OLED show . Those are play off up with Intel Lunar Lake chipsets that have demonstrated very salutary efficiency in other laptop I ’ve survey .

In our examination , Lunar Lake provides electric battery life across both lightweight and exact undertaking that ’s stuffy to Apple ’s highly effective Arm - based silicon chipsets than Qualcomm ’s Snapdragon X. Those are also more efficient than previous Windows laptops , but they drop off some of their advantage when working the CPU harder .

You ’ll still get overall better barrage life with a MacBook . But the EliteBook Ultra G1i will likely ply proficient enough barrage life that you wo n’t be capable to say the deviation .

Display

There ’s one introductory display pick for the EliteBook Ultra G1i , amount in touch and non - touch versions . It ’s a 14.0 - inch 16:10 2.8 K ( 2880 x 1800 ) OLED video display execute at 60Hz . Subjectively , it ’s as good as any other OLED display I ’ve used and tested , with smart , dynamic colors and inky blacks .

I could n’t apply my colorimeter to try it , but I mistrust that the display is as ripe as any other OLED panel . That would make it quite good , indeed . Is it necessary for a laptop that will likely be used for mostly productivity tasks ? Maybe not . But it ’s not like this would be a bargain laptop if the exhibit was just IPS .

Another in a strong line of business laptops

It looks like HP has check all the boxes for a premium commercial laptop . functioning and stamp battery life story should be more than upright enough , the high - res OLED display will please every potential exploiter , and HP ’s entourage of enterprise utility will be attractive for fellowship of all sizing .

But we wo n’t know for sure until we have a fortune to feed it through out bench mark . And we do n’t know the pricing , which is likely to be comparatively high-pitched give the business user target .