By A 16-inch Copilot+ PC laptop designed for professionals and enterprises is the HP EliteBook 8 G1a. Because of its AMD CPU, it combines a fast CPU with a neural processing unit that, in some models, can provide Copilot+ PC functions. Additionally, this is a conventional x86 PC that is assured to execute current business software and drivers that would not function flawlessly on an Arm PC, in contrast to a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Arm PC.
Despite HP’s enthusiastic marketing of this as a “next-generation AI PC,” it offers more than simply AI capabilities. Although the display isn’t up to par with the rest of the experience, it’s still a good laptop that most people would be delighted to use for work.
The EliteBook is HP’s range of business-oriented notebooks, and the company recently revised its model names. The “G1a” here denotes a first-generation model in the new range with an AMD CPU, while the 8 Series is the entry-level line of EliteBooks.
Specs
AMD Ryzen AI is the processor found in the HP EliteBook 8 G1a; the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 350 was part of our review sample. For AI features, that is an x86 CPU with a 50 TOPS NPU. It’s important to keep in mind, too, that not every model has an NPU quick enough for Copilot+ PC functionality. Numerous G1a variants are available from HP, and computers such as the AMD Ryzen 5 230 base model can produce up to 16 TOPS. As a result, they are unable to use Microsoft’s Copilot+ PC features, and if your company has an AI application that uses an NPU, it will operate far more slowly than on models with faster NPUs.
However, other aspects of each system vary besides the processor. During the buying process, HP provides a variety of configuration options, so you may receive a model that differs significantly from the specifications listed here.
The AMD Radeon 860M graphics card was used in our review model. Even while AMD makes a lot of powerful discrete GPUs, these are still integrated graphics and aren’t very quick.
This machine has swappable and user-upgradable RAM, which is fantastic for a business laptop. (Soldered RAM is a feature of the Intel-powered EliteBook 8 G1i that I reviewed at the same time.)
- HP EliteBook 8 G1a 16-inch model number
- AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 350 processor
- 32 GB of DDR5 RAM
- GPU and graphics: AMD Radeon 860M
- Compute Accelerator Device (up to 50 TOPS): AMD NPU
- Display: 16-inch IPS 1920×1200 screen with a refresh rate of 60 Hz
- 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD storage
- The webcam is 1440p.
- Two USB Type-C 40 Gbps Thunderbolt 4 ports, one USB Type-C (10 Gbps) port, one HDMI 2.1 output, one combination audio jack, one security lock slot, and one USB Type-A (5 Gbps) port are all connected.
- Networking: Bluetooth 5.4, Wi-Fi 7.
- Biometrics: IR camera for facial recognition and fingerprint reader
- The battery has a 77-watt-hour capacity.
- 14.13 x 9.84 x 0.61 inches in size
- 3.73 pounds in weight
- MSRP as tested: $1,799
Design and build quality
The 16-inch HP EliteBook 8 G1a boasts a “Glacial Silver” metal casing that feels luxurious. It weighs 3.73 pounds, which makes it slightly heavier than some computers, but the metal construction gives it a sturdy and long-lasting feel.
Here, the style is simple: silver metal elsewhere, black bezel, and dark gray keyboard. Only the lid and the area directly beneath the screen bear the HP emblems. Although I had to hold down the front of the laptop with a second hand in order to open it, the hinge feels excellent to use. The hinge is sturdy, and the screen remains still as you type.
Businesses that wish to remotely control a fleet of laptops will find it helpful that HP includes HP Wolf security with this machine. However, I didn’t enjoy the end-user experience as a knowledge worker. For instance, to run the bestcomputerfinder standard benchmark tools, I had to navigate through additional security dialogs. Many users may want to turn this off, or companies will want to adjust it so that it doesn’t bother staff members about their work apps.
Keyboard and trackpad
The full-size keyboard of the HP EliteBook 8 G1a has a number pad. Compared to the 13-inch HP EliteBook 8 Flip G1i I evaluated at the same time, it is roomier and seems to have greater key travel. It is quick, even though it is silent and lacks the snap of a mechanical keyboard. You can type a lot with this keyboard, which is good. However, I always wish laptop arrow keys were full-size.
This laptop features a sizable trackpad that clicks down with a crisp “thunk” and feels smooth to move your finger across. This trackpad is sturdy, but I would rather see a tactile touchpad. Although glass trackpads feel smoother, they are luxury features only seen on more expensive computers. The trackpad and keyboard are both quite quiet, which is crucial for a work laptop.
Display and speakers
The 16-inch 1920×1200 IPS screen of the HP EliteBook 8 G1a provides 400 nits of brightness and a refresh rate of 60 Hz. That resolution hurts on a 16-inch monitor, especially one in this price bracket, and it’s simply nothing spectacular. It’s good to notice that the display is anti-glare. But HP offers the base model with 300 nits of brightness, which I’d recommend avoiding.
I’d love to see what HP’s version of this laptop looks like. It has a 2560 x 1600 screen and a configurable refresh rate of 120 Hz. However, it will probably cost more and have a shorter battery life.
When compared to consumer laptops in the same price range, this laptop’s display seems to be the most lacking feature.
Similar to the display, the machine’s dual speakers are passable for a business laptop but feel more functional than exceptional. The sound is clear, and they can become rather loud; however, the audio is shallow. They will perform admirably during video conferences. I use Daft Punk’s Get Lucky and Steely Dan’s Aja to test every laptop I review. Aja had decent instrument separation, while several of the high notes lacked clarity. More bass would have been good, but the sound of Get Lucky was still kind of entertaining. Bring along a decent set of headphones.
HP EliteBook 8 G1a 16″ Touchscreen Copilot+ PC Notebook – WUXGA – AMD Ryzen AI 7 350-32 GB – 512 GB SSD – English Keyboard – Glacier Silver
Connectivity
Three USB Type-C connectors and two Thunderbolt 4 connections are among the many ports available on the HP EliteBook 8 G1a.
This laptop features a combination audio jack, two Thunderbolt 4 (USB Type-C 40 Gbps) connections, and an HDMI 2.1 out port on the left side. A security lock slot, a USB Type-A (5 Gbps) port, and a third USB Type-C (10 Gbps) port are located on the right side.
You can connect this laptop’s USB-C charger to the other side of the device because each side includes a USB Type-C connector. On a spec sheet, such kind a detail is easy to miss, but in practice, it makes the laptop much more pleasant to use.
Performance
With its AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 350 processor, the HP EliteBook 8 G1a excelled at web browsers, productivity tools, communication apps, and Windows desktop applications.
However, as usual, we tested the HP EliteBook 8 G1a’s performance using our common benchmarks.
To get a sense of the overall performance of the system, we first run PCMark 10. This AMD-powered laptop outperformed comparable laptops with newer Intel Core Ultra CPUs, achieving an overall PCMark 10 score of 7,605. (And its battery life was comparable, as we’ll see below.)
Cinebench R20 is then used. This benchmark, which emphasizes total CPU performance, is substantially multithreaded. Since it’s a fast test, cooling isn’t an issue for prolonged workloads. However, CPUs with more cores have a significant advantage because it is massively multithreaded.
The AMD hardware in this case outperformed the Intel Arrow Lake and Lunar Lake CPUs, with a multithreaded Cinebench R20 score of 6,160.
We also use Handbrake to run an encode. Although it runs for a long time, this benchmark is also significantly multithreaded. Under load, many laptops choke and slow down, requiring the cooling system to kick in.
In an average of 924 seconds, or more than 15 minutes, the HP EliteBook 8 G1a finished the encoding procedure. When necessary, this computer can generate fairly significant CPU performance, and it strikes a decent balance between power efficiency and performance.
All things considered, the HP EliteBook 8 G1a demonstrates how good AMD’s current products are: A very competitive pricing for a CPU with good performance and a fast enough NPU for Copilot+ PC capabilities. However, the GPU on this system is subpar, so anyone using a professional program that utilizes a GPU may want to look elsewhere.
Battery life
For a 16-inch laptop, the HP EliteBook 8 G1a’s 77-watt-hour battery is a decent size. It offered an excellent balance between performance and battery life.
We repeatedly play a 4K version of Tears of Steel on Windows 11 with airplane mode turned on until the laptop suspends itself in order to test the battery life. For battery benchmarks, we adjusted the screen brightness to 250 nits. Since local video playback is so effective and real battery life in daily use will always be less than this, this is the best-case situation for any laptop.
According to our benchmarks, the HP EliteBook 8 G1a lasted an average of 936 minutes, or almost 16 hours. This is probably enough juice for all-workday battery life, which is what matters most for a business laptop, even though you’ll get less from regular computer use.
Conclusion
The AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 350 processor and a high-end metal construction are combined in the HP EliteBook 8 G1a. The end product is a superb, well-balanced machine in many respects.
Right now, AMD’s chips are incredibly underappreciated. Although they don’t have the same CPU speed as a high-end workstation or the same battery life as a thin and light laptop, they do provide a great combination of both. Furthermore, the AI functions here are more than just marketing because this provides an NPU quickly enough for Copilot+ PC features. You’ll want a fast NPU like the 50 TOPS NPU here if programs ever start using them more, rather than the 12 TOPS NPU that Intel still provides in the majority of PCs.
However, this isn’t the ultimate business laptop. The overall experience is degraded by the display, and the graphics performance simply cannot compete with the CPU and NPU. Despite being a fantastic laptop, not everyone should choose it. However, I’m glad that my review model contained AMD hardware, and I believe that you would also prefer this AMD hardware to Intel’s current offers.
