HP EliteBook 1040 G11 Laptop computer Evaluation

Once I envision a enterprise laptop computer, I consider three qualities: highly effective, dependable, and safe. The primary laptop computer I consider once I hear enterprise laptop computer is Lenovo’s long-revered Thinkpad series. Nonetheless, HP and its EliteBook collection have been within the enterprise laptop computer marketplace for properly over a decade.

Enterprise laptops are designed for max transportable productiveness for individuals who want efficiency and reliability wherever they go. This yr’s EliteBook lives as much as that expectation and delivers highly effective efficiency whereas being as glossy as ever.

The HP Elitebook 1040 G11 is a superb pickup-and-go enterprise laptop computer because of its ultra-light design and reliably wonderful efficiency delivered by its Intel Core Ultra processor. After utilizing this laptop computer as my day by day driver for 2 weeks, I used to be genuinely impressed by its efficiency in on a regular basis productiveness duties and AI capabilities.

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HP EliteBook 1040 G11

The HP EliteBook 1040 G11 is a dependable and glossy enterprise laptop computer. It has helpful AI capabilities and highly effective efficiency because of its Intel Core Extremely processor.

Execs

• Smooth light-weight design
• Quick efficiency
• Helpful AI options
• Good port choice

Cons

• Costly
• Common battery life
• Plastic bezels

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Value, specs, and availability

The HP Elitebook 1040 G11 is out there now in varied configurations and guarantee/safety choices beginning at $2384.00. The bottom mannequin options the Intel Core Extremely 5 125H 4.5Ghz increase clock CPU, 16GB of RAM, and a 256GB NVMe SSD.

A dearer configuration is the Intel Core Extremely 7 165H 5.0Ghz increase clock CPU possibility, which might price wherever from $3,000 to $4,000 relying on the storage and show choices chosen.

There are a number of completely different show configurations for the EliteBook 1040 G11, with various ranges of brightness and privateness choices, in addition to touchscreen functionality. Most configurations share a 14-inch 1920×1200 IPS show. A 14-inch 2.8K 120Hz OLED configuration is out there.

These fashions can get much more costly when you select a configuration with an extended guarantee and HP Wolf Security, which presents customers and companies “preconfigured enterprise-level safety.” It makes use of malware prevention, menace containment, OS resiliency, and software persistence to assist maintain the EliteBook safe and recoverable within the occasion of a safety compromise.

Design

Slim, glossy, and light-weight

There’s rather a lot to love in regards to the HP EliteBook 1040 G11, beginning with its premium glossy design. Its aluminum body has a pleasant texture that feels nice to carry and stroll round with. I want laptops with a clear, minimal design. Sitting subsequent to my M1 MacBook Professional and Dell XPS 15, the EliteBook suits in properly and scores good factors within the appears division.

At simply 2.6 lbs, the EliteBook has a skinny, mild chassis that isn’t flimsy. Its chassis feels inflexible and durable and wasn’t prone to any bending or flexing once I tried to. This makes the EliteBook nice for touring and can slide properly into any backpack or carry-on.

The EliteBook’s lid is clean and simply opened with one hand. Behind that lid is a 14-inch 1920 x 1200 pixel decision 60Hz IPS show that actually didn’t impress me all that a lot. It appears first rate, however I instantly seen the display screen’s 60Hz refresh fee. It could be good if HP supplied a better refresh fee IPS show as a configuration possibility. After utilizing a 144Hz monitor in my house workplace and having ProMotion on my MacBook and iPhone once I’m on the go, I’ve grow to be extremely adjusted to larger refresh fee shows. The 120Hz OLED possibility is there, but when you don’t need an OLED, and like IPS on a laptop computer, you are caught with 60Hz.

The show can be not absolutely glass and options plastic bezels bordering it. It’s a little bit of a disappointment, because the cheaper bezels detract from the premium design of the remainder of the laptop computer.

If I have been contemplating shopping for the HP EliteBook 1040 G11, I might undoubtedly go along with the 120Hz OLED show. Whereas companies seeking to purchase a fleet of those won’t make that alternative, it’s actually one I might make as a person client shopping for this laptop computer.

The EliteBook comes outfitted with a 5-megapixel IR digital camera positioned on the high of the display screen. I performed just a few video calls on Discord utilizing the webcam, and the calls seemed clear. The webcam additionally has a privateness shutter which hides your webcam just by sliding the tab above the digital camera.

It additionally helps Windows Hello, which works more often than not. I had some days when Home windows Hi there labored marvelously, and different days when it was always telling me to be additional away from the laptop computer for it to work, which I discovered irritating. Unsure if this was simply a difficulty I skilled, nevertheless it’s value mentioning.

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One other cool function is that you may set the laptop computer to routinely flip off the display screen once you stroll away and switch it again on routinely once you re-approach the laptop computer. The function is known as Presence and is positioned underneath Energy & Battery in Home windows 11 settings. It even lets you choose a customized detection distance for strolling away and re-approaching.

It is actually cool to stroll again to my desk, sit in entrance of the EliteBook, and have it instantly flip again on. After all, having the display screen flip off once you stroll away helps protect the battery, which is a bonus plus.

Keyboard, trackpad, and ports

Wanting on the keyboard, after writing and typing on the EliteBook 1040 for 2 weeks, I could like its keys higher than my MacBook’s. As I write this utilizing the EliteBook 1040’s keyboard, it feels very responsive, and the important thing positioning and spacing are excellent. The switches really feel deeper than my M1 MacBook Professional. I just like the keyboard’s grey colour because it matches the EliteBook’s clear silver look. The keyboard additionally has a pleasant white backlight and daring lettering on every key to simply distinguish them in any setting.

I have a tendency to not use a wi-fi mouse once I’m utilizing my laptop computer, even for prolonged intervals, so the trackpad on any laptop computer I’m utilizing is absolutely essential to me. That being mentioned, the EliteBook’s trackpad has rather a lot to supply. It is an excellent dimension and I discovered it excellent for navigating and scrolling, and the suggestions I obtained when clicking felt very responsive and made a pleasant click on noise.

The EliteBook 1040 G11 additionally has a wonderful port choice. It has all the things it is advisable to join in any workplace or assembly room shortly. On the left aspect of the chassis, you’ll discover an HDMI 2.1 port, two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports, and a headphone jack. On the fitting is a USB-C 10Gbps port, a USB-A port, and a NanoSIM slot. The one factor lacking is an SD card slot, however since this can be a enterprise laptop computer that isn’t geared towards inventive duties, it is sensible why they’d’ve gone with a SIM card slot as a substitute.

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Efficiency

The EliteBook means enterprise

The evaluation unit for the HP EliteBook 1040 G11 I used to be despatched has an Intel Core Extremely 7 165H processor, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB NVMe M.2 SSD, and a 68-watt-hour battery.

It dealt with each productiveness process I threw at it easily, whether or not it was looking the online, writing and researching, Microsoft Workplace, and even mild picture modifying. I skilled no hiccups or slowdowns in any respect whereas utilizing this machine, which you’d anticipate, contemplating it has a top-of-the-line Intel processor in it.

Working a GeekBench 6 CPU benchmark, the laptop computer scored a formidable 2,120 single-core rating and a 11,899 multi-core rating. The laptop computer was set to efficiency mode throughout this check. In comparison with different laptops Pocket-lint has examined, this places it fairly a bit forward of the Microsoft Surface Laptop 2 we checked out earlier this yr when it comes to CPU efficiency.

For graphics, the HP EliteBook has no devoted GPU and makes use of Intel Arc graphics built-in with the CPU. This laptop computer is completely not geared towards avid gamers or video editors, and the Intel Arc graphics are greater than sufficient for many productiveness employees or enterprise individuals who can be contemplating this laptop computer.

The EliteBook 1040 G11 does have some upgradability. By eradicating the underside panel of the laptop computer, you possibly can change the SSD, Wi-Fi card, and battery. The RAM is soldered to the board, so you possibly can’t make any adjustments down the road to it, which is changing into an increasing number of frequent with laptops.

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Battery life

The HP EliteBook 1040 G11’s battery life was common. It lasted for the work I used to be doing however didn’t really feel extraordinary. Whereas writing and researching at simply above half brightness, I used to be in a position to make use of it for about seven hours earlier than having to plug it in. If I have been going out for the day, I might undoubtedly deliver the charger with me simply in case, relying on how lengthy I am gone for. If I have been utilizing my MacBook, I wouldn’t fear about this as a lot.

Watching an hour-long episode of House of the Dragon at half brightness, I noticed the battery drop about 16 %. After watching about two hours of YouTube, I additionally misplaced one other 30 %. So, the battery was dropping about 15 % an hour, consuming media. I used to be utilizing Google Chrome for each situations. The laptop computer prices at a good fee. I by no means let the battery die all the best way, however the lowest I obtained was 13%, and it charged again as much as 75% in about 45 minutes.

I additionally tried out HP’s Good Sense by way of the myHP app. This function detects the calls for of the purposes you’re utilizing, the position of the laptop computer, and the standing of the battery to routinely optimize the laptop computer’s efficiency, together with its fan noise and temperature. Meaning Good Sense can inform in case your EliteBook is on a desk or your lap and alter the thermals accordingly. Whereas utilizing the EliteBook, I solely heard the followers spin up just a few instances, so it felt like Good Sense was doing its job.

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AI options

AI prepared on the press of a button

Out of the field, Microsoft Copilot is instantly out there to make use of, and the keyboard even has a devoted button for it. You should utilize Copilot to summarize internet pages, do analysis for you, or draft a fast electronic mail. Due to the Intel Extremely chipset discovered within the EliteBook, the PC has its personal devoted NPU (neural processing unit) for dealing with AI duties.

Once I examined out Copilot on the EliteBook 1040 G11, it generated responses to any questions I gave it fairly shortly and listed any sources it used to get the data, so I might examine additional and guarantee its accuracy.

Copilot is completely optionally available, so when you don’t need to use it, you possibly can conceal it from the taskbar and by no means give it some thought once more, which I’ve personally completed on my Home windows 11 desktop.

I’m not the largest person of AI, however I feel the combination on the EliteBook is fairly helpful, particularly to its goal market of enterprise individuals, who could need to use it to assist draft a number of emails on a regular basis, do some fast analysis, and even assist resolve what’s for lunch.

AI additionally helps with videoconferencing on the EliteBook 1040 G11, because of Microsoft’s Studio Results software program. You should utilize AI to routinely body your webcam and add a portrait mild. It’s also possible to add two background results: a normal blur and a portrait blur.

There’s additionally a function known as eye contact that retains your eyes always in touch with the digital camera. This function intrigued me probably the most and truly works very well. Enabling and disabling the function in actual time modified the situation of my eyes. So, if you wish to look away throughout an on-camera video assembly, AI is right here to avoid wasting you. I did discover within the process supervisor as properly that the NPU was being utilized to facilitate these options, placing much less pressure on the CPU.

HP additionally built-in 4 Poly Studio-tuned audio system and an SNR studio microphone into the laptop computer. I watched a number of YouTube movies on the EliteBook and located the standard of the audio system to be fairly good. Even in comparison side-by-side with my M1 MacBook Professional, I did not discover an excessive amount of of a distinction, aside from the MacBook having a bit deeper bass.

When testing the microphone, I additionally discovered it to be clear and did a superb job of canceling out background noise. I used to be snapping my fingers whereas speaking to check it, and it was in a position to isolate my voice and cancel out the finger-snapping very well.

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Do you have to purchase the HP EliteBook 1040 G11?

This laptop computer has a selected goal market: productiveness employees, companies, and security-conscious customers. When you’re a enterprise proprietor seeking to buy a fleet of safe laptops and might afford the excessive price ticket, this laptop computer may give you the results you want. It’s glossy and trendy, performs properly, and has about common battery life for a Home windows laptop computer. It additionally has AI options when you’re seeking to combine AI into your workflow.

When you’re not a enterprise particular person however simply an on a regular basis client searching for a glossy laptop computer, then I’d undoubtedly take a look at extra consumer-targeted laptops, such because the Dell XPS series, the MacBook Air/Pro, and even the new Snapdragon powered PCs. A laptop computer with a devoted GPU can be helpful too, particularly if you wish to sport or do any inventive issues like picture and video modifying.

For a enterprise laptop computer, the HP EliteBook 1040 G11 is a compelling alternative when you’re okay with the excessive price ticket. It has a strong Intel processor, peace-of-mind security measures in order for you them, common battery life, and AI options that really enhance the person expertise. And most significantly, it is dependable.

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HP EliteBook 1040 G11