HP EliteBook 840 G8 14" (1920x1080) Core™ i5-1145G7 256GB SSD 16GB W11 Pro Bcklt Silver

The EliteBook 800 series consists of HP's upper mid-range business laptops in contrast to the lower-end ProBook series or higher-end EliteBook 1000 series. Our model today is the 14-inch EliteBook 840 G8 to succeed last year's EliteBook 840 G7. The system adopts the same chassis as the G7 while updating the internals to 11th gen Intel Tiger Lake-U options. A 15.6-inch version called the EliteBook 850 G8 is also available. Configurations are wide and varied not unlike most other EliteBook models. CPU options range from the Core i5-1135G7 to i7-1185G7 with vPro, 250-nit to 1000-nit display, 4 GB to 64 GB of RAM, optional 5G Nano-SIM and eSIM support, and 128 GB to 2 TB PCIe NVMe SSD. All SKUs comes with integrated Iris Xe graphics and a 1080p panel. Alternatives include other high-end 14-inch business laptops like the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s , Vaio Z , Dell Latitude 9420 , or MSI Summit E14 . Owners of the G7 won't be missing much by skipping the G8 save for all the internal performance updates since they both share the same chassis. Older EliteBook 800 laptops are traditionally rounder and thicker than the pricier EliteBook 1000 models like the EliteBook 1030 or 1040 , but the 840 G7/G8 design brings the 800 series much closer to the 1000 series from a visual standpoint. Chassis quality is excellent with just minor flexing along the keyboard center or corners of the base or lid. The center of the outer lid is perhaps the most susceptible to flexing which is common on most laptops. The Dell Latitude 9420 is tougher-built than our HP albeit at the cost of extra weight. HP has shrunk the bottom bezel by almost 20 mm for a much smaller form factor and lighter weight than the older EliteBook 840 G5 design. The system is slightly thicker than many alternative models like the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s G2 , Vaio Z, or MSI Summit E14, but this disadvantage is minor when compared to the more significant size and weight savings.

The HP EliteBook 840 Aero utilizes a magnesium alloy to shave the PC’s weight down to just 2.48 pounds. What a difference half a pound makes. I reviewed the EliteBook 840 G7 back in March , and HP was, by that time, already selling a G8 version that substituted the review unit’s 10th-generation Intel Core U-series processor with 11th-generation parts. My understanding is that G7 and G8 versions of the EliteBook 840 are otherwise identical, and so I wish I still had that review unit on hand to compare it to the EliteBook 840 Aero G8, which is likewise identical to the non-Aero 840 aside from the material change and the resulting weight loss. But I don’t, thanks to my ongoing declutter crusade. So I’ll instead need to go off of my earlier review and the information that HP supplied during a recent briefing. And since the machines are otherwise identical, I don’t see the need for a month-plus review process and another 2000-3000 words of writing. Instead, I’ll just highlight what’s new and provide my own observations. The first observation is obvious enough: Switching out key chassis components from aluminum to magnesium has made a huge impact. The stock EliteBook 840 weighs just under 3 pounds, nearly ideal for a 14-inch laptop these days, and as I noted in my review, it feels even lighter than that. Well, the EliteBook 840 Aero weighs just under 2.5 pounds, or about 16-17 percent less than the 840. And it’s so light it feels like a hollow manufacturing prototype. OK, that’s a slight exaggeration, but the weight loss is instantly noticeable, and it is quite desirable. I hope this experience inspires HP to investigate doing similarly for its other premium PCs, and that other PC makers follow suit. (Though, to be fair, Lenovo has long used magnesium hybrid materials in its high-end ThinkPads.) The firm has experimented with magnesium elsewhere, and its 13.3-inch Elite Dragonfly PCs weigh just 2.18 to 2.5 pounds, depending on the battery.

Design If you compare the Aero version of the EliteBook 840 G8 to its non-Aero sibling, you'll find that the laptop is nearly identical in size, within a fraction of an inch in width and depth, and just 0.70 inches thick. But HP built the EliteBook Aero 840 G8 out of magnesium instead of aluminum, and managed to cut the weight by nearly half a pound, from 2.92 pounds to 2.5 pounds. That's light for a 14-inch business-class laptop and significantly easier to carry. While there are 14-inch consumer laptops in the same weight range, like the 2.31-pound, 0.59-inch thick Acer Swift 5 , not many business jets can match. The Dell Latitude 7420 , for example, is 0.68 inches thicker while its construction is 2.7 pounds of carbon fiber and 2.89 pounds of all-aluminum chassis. A laptop that matches the EliteBook is the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 , which weighs 2.49 pounds and is 0.59 inches thinner, uses magnesium in its chassis, and is more flexible. Ultimately, the EliteBook 840 Aero G8 achieves its goal of being extremely light, even if it's not the thinnest laptop. The EliteBook 840 Aero G8 also manages to avoid the common pitfall of magnesium chassis, which is that they tend to be less rigid than aluminum. The EliteBook is sturdy all around, the lid only flexes when you apply undue pressure, the keyboard deck has zero flex, and the chassis bottom has no flex. Business laptops tend to be stronger than some consumer laptops, like the MSI Prestige 14 Evo , which is aluminum but still has a slightly curved lid, so that's nothing new. But being so light and sturdy is a great combination, not one you'll often find. The laptop's hinge is a little tight, requiring two hands to open the lid, but it's always tapered for easy opening and can be tilted 170 degrees for collaborative viewing. Aesthetically, the EliteBook 840 Aero G8 matches HP's general EliteBook look and feel. It's all silver with few ornaments.

The HP EliteBook 840 Aero G8 offers power and a host of security features in a slim, lightweight package. Why you can trust Laptop Mag Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test . As more and more companies are opting to have employees work in hybrid setups, the call for professional laptops has increased in kind. The EliteBook 840 Aero G8 is HP’s answer to this demand. Combining powerful specs like an 11th Gen Intel Core i7 processor and integrated graphics with features such as an integrated Tile Tracker, NFC, a SmartCard reader, and a fingerprint scanner, consistent security between home and office has never been easier. Add speakers by Bang and Olfusen into the fray and you get a laptop that’s useful for both work and leisure. With such an impressive array of features, There’s really little to complain about when it comes to this laptop. However, with a $2,882 price tag, I expected a brighter, more vivid display. With a name like EliteBook, you might expect this device to come at an elite price. The $2,882 model that we received features a good mix of premium and standard features. It has an 11th Gen Intel Core i7-1185G7 processor, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB self-encrypted SSD, a Smartcard reader and built-in NFC, plus “standard” additions such as a fingerprint reader and Bluetooth/LAN. The base model has an 11th Gen Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM, a 256GB self-encrypted SSD and a FHD anti-glare display and runs the basic Windows 10 Home edition. All of this starts at $1,954 at HP, but there are plenty of customization options to really personalize your experience and price. Simply by upgrading to Windows 10 Pro for businesses, several new options are unlocked such as upgrading to an Intel Core i7 processor for $400, 16 - 64GB RAM for $140-$960, 512GB - 2TB SSD for $130 - $995 plus the option to add a fingerprint reader for $10 and NFC for $5.