I wanted to love this HP laptop, but the $2,500 price tag is a hard pill to swallow

Price When Reviewed

$2,429

Best Prices Today: HP EliteBook Ultra G1i

The HP EliteBook Ultra G1i is a “next-generation AI PC” from HP. I really feel like I’ve been listening to about AI PCs for years now, and it’s straightforward to tune that out. Despite the machine’s succesful {hardware} and enticing construct, HP’s major focus stays on AI. HP actually desires to speak about all of the AI software program it bundled with this PC, so I’ll attempt to focus extra on that on this evaluate than regular. Indeed, this can be a high-quality transportable PC with stable Lunar Lake {hardware}.

Assuming you don’t desire a discrete GPU, it’s an excellent decide. But that’s the catch, isn’t it? For numerous native AI duties, you really do desire a highly effective GPU. Or chances are you’ll no less than need robust multithreaded efficiency and Lunar Lake doesn’t ship that. This machine is extra of a premium laptop computer with AI methods than an AI-centered workstation. With an MSRP of almost $2,429, that’s onerous to swallow.

HP EliteBook Ultra G1i: Specs

The HP EliteBook Ultra G1i is a laptop computer powered by an Intel Core Ultra (Series 2) CPU. This sequence is the road of processors codenamed Lunar Lake. Specifically, this machine has an Intel Core Ultra 7 268V processor. It’s mixed with 32 GB of RAM, and the Lunar Lake NPU handles a lot of the AI processing this machine is touting.

However, you’re simply getting onboard graphics right here and that’s usually wonderful for a light-weight, ultraportable laptop computer. But, if I’m taking this machine’s AI aspirations severely, I’ll say I really feel that the Intel GPU isn’t the perfect match for what I’d image from an AI PC, the place numerous workloads — Stable Diffusion picture technology, for instance — nonetheless require a GPU.

• CPU: Intel Core Ultra 7 268V
• Memory: 32 GB LPDDR5X RAM
• Graphics/GPU: Intel Arc 140V
• NPU: Intel AI Boost (as much as 48 TOPS)
• Display: 14-inch 2880×1800 OLED touchscreen
• Storage: 512 GB PCIe Gen 4 SSD
• Webcam: 1440p digital camera
• Connectivity: 3x Thunderbolt 4 (USB4 Type-C), 1x USB Type-A, 1x combo headphone jack, 1x Kensington nano lock slot
• Networking: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4
• Biometrics: Fingerprint reader and IR digital camera for Windows Hello
• Battery capability: 64 watt-hours
• Dimensions: 12.35 × 8.55 × 0.48 inches
• Weight: 2.68 kilos
• MSRP: $2,429, as examined

HP EliteBook Ultra G1i: Design and construct high quality

IDG / Chris Hoffman

The 14-inch HP EliteBook Ultra G1i does have nice construct high quality. The chassis is accessible in a pleasant darkish “Atmosphere Blue” colour with a black bezel across the show, giving it an unassuming but premium really feel. Magnesium makes up the chassis, giving it a stable but light-weight really feel attribute of a high-quality metallic laptop computer. At 2.68 kilos, it’s an excellent weight — not unusually heavy, however not going out of its solution to be unusually mild, both.

The laptop computer’s AI aspirations aren’t precisely loud: The lid has an “HP” brand, however nothing about AI. The solely signal of these AI aspirations is the small blue “AI” brand on the bottom-right nook of the keyboard, beneath the fitting arrow key.

HP bundles varied apps right here, together with the HP AI Companion app, which features a assist assistant that may reply questions primarily based on HP product manuals and alter PC settings. The HP AI Companion app has varied options that use GPT-4o within the cloud — the identical mannequin you can pull up with ChatGPT. While the mixing is attention-grabbing and the AI options are a lot much less half-baked than they have been on early AI PCs, they most likely received’t sway many individuals to purchase this laptop computer particularly. (But maybe they might sway you!)

For the value, I want among the software program was rather less intrusive out of the field. As I write this, I see an “HP Wolf Pro Security” pop-up that touts the software program’s AV-Test score and urges me to register it for full safety. For $2,000 and up, we deserve a extra streamlined expertise out of the field.

HP EliteBook Ultra G1i: Keyboard and trackpad

IDG / Chris Hoffman

The HP EliteBook Ultra G1i’s keyboard feels glorious, and I say that as somebody who’s been spending extra time with mechanical keyboards recently. This isn’t a mechanical keyboard in any respect, however one thing about it feels crisp and aware of me. It’s not mushy in any respect. You press a key and get a crisp response with a fast raise. It feels nice to kind on.

The trackpad can also be a winner. HP has chosen to make use of a haptic trackpad right here — that’s one thing I’ve been asking for from PC producers. It’s a pleasant large, easy floor, and you may click on down wherever on the floor because of the haptic suggestions.

HP EliteBook Ultra G1i: Display and audio system

IDG / Chris Hoffman

The HP EliteBook Ultra G1i has a 2880×1800 OLED show with a variable refresh charge that goes as much as 120Hz and 400 nits of brightness. It’s a contact display screen, too.

It’s a lovely OLED display screen, and it seems to be nice.

The variable refresh charge also needs to cut back energy consumption, eliminating the necessity to consistently lock the laptop computer to 60 Hz. I’m an enormous fan of OLED shows, however simply keep in mind that this can be a pretty shiny show (no shock for OLED shows) and that 400 nits of brightness isn’t the brightest show you’ll discover. That means the reflections on this display screen could be somewhat intense, particularly in direct daylight. It’s simply one thing to concentrate on, it’s the character of a shiny show.

This laptop computer has a “quad speaker design,” based on HP. They sound fairly good for a laptop computer of this dimension. They handle to succeed in an honest degree of quantity and readability. There’s maybe even a bit extra bass than I would anticipate, however that is nonetheless a speaker system constructed right into a 14-inch light-weight laptop computer.

HP EliteBook Ultra G1i: Webcam, microphone, biometrics

The HP EliteBook Ultra G1i has a 1440p digital camera with a bodily shutter, which is at all times good to see. As far as AI options, you’ve bought each Windows Studio Effects (because of the NPU) together with Poly Camera Pro in-built. Poly Camera Pro affords quite a lot of options like “magic backgrounds” for remodeling the best way your webcam background seems to be in any app — changing it, stylizing it, or making use of results. The webcam picture seems to be unusually top quality and clear, it’s glorious.

HP touts dual-array microphones that make for “loud and clear” sound. They sound wonderful to me, though I’ve heard clearer audio from another laptops.

This machine does have a wide selection of biometric {hardware}: each an IR digital camera for facial recognition with Windows Hello and a fingerprint reader on the top-right nook of the keyboard above the Backspace key.

HP EliteBook Ultra G1i: Connectivity

IDG / Chris Hoffman

The HP EliteBook Ultra G1i has an honest variety of ports, assuming you’re in search of Thunderbolt 4 (USB Type-C) ports. On the left, you’ll discover a combo audio jack, a USB Type-A port, and a Thunderbolt 4 (USB Type-C) port. On the fitting, the machine has two extra Thunderbolt 4 (USB Type-C) ports in addition to a Kensington lock slot for bodily securing the machine.

That’s all — no microSD reader, for instance. And keep in mind that this laptop computer costs over USB Type-C. For extra ports, you’ll want a dongle.

Thanks to Lunar Lake, this machine additionally has the {hardware} for Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4.

HP EliteBook Ultra G1i: Performance

The HP EliteBook Ultra G1i performs effectively in day-to-day desktop use. That’s no shock, as we’ve bought an Intel Lunar Lake CPU, a speedy SSD, and 32 GB of RAM right here.

As at all times, although, we ran the HP EliteBook Ultra G1i by means of our standard benchmarks to see the way it performs.

IDG / Chris Hoffman

First, we run PCMark 10 to get an thought of total system efficiency. With an total PCMark 10 rating of 7,324, the HP EliteBook Ultra G1i was just a little on the faster facet in comparison with another Lunar Lake methods we in contrast it to. However, it wasn’t as quick because the HP OmniBook Ultra 14 with its AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX {hardware}.

IDG / Chris Hoffman

Next, we run Cinebench R20. This check is a closely multithreaded benchmark that focuses on total CPU efficiency. It’s a fast benchmark, so cooling below prolonged workloads isn’t an element. But, because it’s closely multithreaded, CPUs with extra cores have an enormous benefit.

With a multithreaded rating of 3799, this machine got here in behind another Lunar Lake methods and effectively behind different PCs with CPUs which have extra cores. Lunar Lake CPUs solely have eight cores, in order that they wrestle on this type of artificial benchmark. That doesn’t imply they wrestle in day-to-day pc use, however they aren’t ideally suited for multithreaded compute-heavy duties.

IDG / Chris Hoffman

We additionally run an encode with Handbrake. This is one other closely multithreaded benchmark, but it surely runs over an prolonged time period. This calls for the laptop computer’s cooling kick in, and lots of laptops will throttle and decelerate below load.

The HP EliteBook Ultra G1i completed the encode course of in 1,576 seconds — that’s over 26 minutes. It’s on the gradual facet even for Meteor Lake, suggesting throttling below load might happen. This isn’t the perfect system for sustained CPU efficiency.

IDG / Chris Hoffman

Next, we run a graphical benchmark. This isn’t a gaming laptop, but it surely’s nonetheless good to verify how the GPU performs. We run 3DMark Time Spy, a graphical benchmark that focuses on GPU efficiency.

With a rating of 4,186, this machine delivers fairly customary Lunar Lake graphics efficiency. Intel’s built-in graphics are quite a bit higher than they was once, however they nonetheless can’t examine to an excellent discrete GPU.

Overall, the HP EliteBook Ultra G1i delivered moderately customary Lunar Lake efficiency — slower on some benchmarks and sooner than others. There weren’t any large surprises right here.

HP EliteBook Ultra G1i: Battery life

The HP EliteBook Ultra G1i combines a 64 watt-hour battery with Intel’s theoretically power-sipping Lunar Lake {hardware}, so we’d anticipate to see higher battery life, however not so long as it might be, as another machines have greater batteries.

IDG / Chris Hoffman

To benchmark the battery life, we play a 4K copy of Tears of Steel on repeat on Windows 11 with airplane mode enabled till the laptop computer suspends itself. This is a best-case state of affairs for any laptop computer since native video playback is so environment friendly, and actual battery life in day-to-day use is at all times going to be lower than this.

We set the display screen to 250 nits of brightness for our battery benchmarks, and it’s value noting that the EliteBook’s OLED show has a little bit of a bonus, as OLED screens use much less energy to show the black bars across the video.

This machine lasted for 1,089 minutes earlier than suspending itself — that’s over 18 hours. It’s a considerable quantity that matches what we typically see with Lunar Lake-powered methods, though the Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 pulled method forward of its rivals right here.

HP EliteBook Ultra G1i: Conclusion

The HP EliteBook Ultra G1i is a pleasant laptop computer: stable construct high quality, lovely OLED display screen, affordable all-around Lunar Lake efficiency, and severe battery life. That’s with out even contemplating the AI options and if I’ve to guage a laptop computer primarily based on its AI options, this is without doubt one of the higher packages I’ve seen to date. HP undoubtedly made a powerful effort right here.

Still, that is simply such an costly machine. At an MSRP of almost $2,500, you can select from so many different Lunar Lake-powered PCs. Consider the Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro, for instance. It’s considerably cheaper and has for much longer battery life.

Furthermore, should you actually are in search of an AI workstation, this machine isn’t it. Lunar Lake doesn’t actually ship the multithreaded CPU efficiency you may want, and the shortage of a discrete GPU means many extra demanding native AI duties are successfully out of attain. This limitation is important given the excessive value of the machine.

The HP EliteBook Ultra G1i is a stunning premium laptop computer, however its value simply means it’s not the fitting match for most individuals.