HP revamped its laptop collection last year, rebranding its high-performance business models as the EliteBook X series. The first model I evaluated from this line is the 14-inch HP EliteBook X G1a, a remarkable business laptop that offers many appealing features but also has some distinctive considerations.
This business-centric laptop is designed for professionals and strives to merge the connectivity found in a ThinkPad, the elegant design of a MacBook, and HP’s characteristic minimalist, albeit plain, aesthetics.
There are various configurations available for this laptop, with the most advanced option featuring an AMD Ryzen AI 9 processor, currently one of the most innovative chips on the market, while the version I assessed came equipped with an AMD Ryzen AI 7 Pro 360 processor, 32GB of RAM, and a 14-inch matte WUXGA IPS display.
Visually, it’s understated and quite corporate in appearance, showcasing a matte WUXGA display along with a wide array of ports. It easily passes the one-finger test and opens to a standard display with 400-nit brightness, a 60Hz refresh rate, and a compact, efficient keyboard.
The keyboard stands out as one of its strongest attributes. It is completely quiet, provides a responsive tactile experience, and has a key travel that feels almost mechanical. The keys are ample and smooth, and the backlighting is both functional and well-crafted. Similarly, the trackpad is premium and responsive, even though the clicks can feel somewhat “heavy.”
I do wish the device included a haptic trackpad, as this would enhance its premium feel, especially for a device catering to a sophisticated audience: business leaders and technology experts. When you factor in the laptop’s price, it feels like a missed opportunity.
Throughout my usage, I found this laptop enjoyable for long workdays, largely thanks to its thoughtfully designed ergonomics. Unlike many other machines that require users to adapt to bold or unconventional designs, the EliteBook X G1a feels familiar and comfortable right from the start, making it an ideal companion for extended work sessions.
While the keyboard and trackpad contribute to a pleasant physical experience, the extensive I/O selection enhances its usefulness. You have an HDMI, three USB-C ports (including one Thunderbolt 4 on each side—thank you), a USB-A port, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a Kensington lock slot. In my view, this is one of the best combinations of ports available in 2025; the only addition that would make it better would be an SD card reader.
It can also adapt to creative tasks, as video editing in industry-standard software like Da Vinci Resolve was effortless. Similarly, it’s feasible to game on this laptop, but I wouldn’t suggest it as a dedicated gaming device, given its 60Hz display and heat management (which I’ll elaborate on later).
During my evaluation, I experienced a hiccup while trying to connect an external monitor via the Thunderbolt 4 port. Both screens would flicker and restart intermittently, even after I updated drivers and Windows.
Problems like this can stem from various factors, such as the operating system, hardware, or even the USB-C cable itself, so I don’t specifically blame the EliteBook; however, it was the first time I encountered this issue after using many laptops with the same connection and monitor.
A busy workday limited my troubleshooting time, but this is where the generous port options became beneficial, enabling me to quickly switch to an HDMI connection. It’s a perfect illustration of how redundant I/O options can resolve technical issues, particularly in a professional environment.
Regarding performance, the EliteBook X G1a is quick and responsive, boasting benchmark results that support its reputation as a robust enterprise machine.
However, one observation I made while evaluating the EliteBook X G1a was that it tends to run a bit hotter compared to its peers, activating the fans during prolonged workloads in High Performance mode. When it’s not under pressure, though, it remains silent and cool, suggesting there’s a specific threshold with the hardware. At no point did I notice any signs of throttling, however.
Staying true to its focus on professional use, the EliteBook X G1a is outfitted with a 74.5Whr battery, which is relatively large for a laptop of this size, providing just over 11 hours of usage in our standard battery test. While this is decent, it didn’t quite meet the impressive longevity I had anticipated, especially when compared to its competitors.
For instance, this aligns closely with the results we observed during our evaluation of the MacBook Pro M4, which is priced slightly lower, and after all, it’s a MacBook. On the other hand, HP’s own OmniBook X 14 featuring the Snapdragon X Elite proved to be an incredible endurance machine, surpassing 20 hours of use.
Naturally, the specifications of the OmniBook are somewhat less advanced, yet its 65Wh battery excels in a way that cannot be overlooked. However, as I spent more time with this laptop, it became clear to me that its design prioritizes raw power over a slim and lightweight build, turning it into a dependable workhorse.
The EliteBook X G1a is a commendable machine equipped with useful HP AI features. During my evaluations, the device performed well in AI-related tasks and several multi-threaded operations but fell a bit short in others. Specifically, its battery life and performance in extended tests did not match those of some recent laptops built on Intel’s Core Ultra 200V (Lunar Lake) series. (Previously, I found similar results with HP’s OmniBook Ultra 14, a premium consumer laptop utilizing the same chip family.)
Beginning with the fundamentals, the EliteBook X G1a has an attractive design. It features the “Glacier Silver” color—a lighter tone compared to the OmniBook and many other Windows laptops—that HP adopted in last year’s EliteBook series, including the Elite x360 1040 G11 I evaluated last year. The 14-inch EliteBook X G1a has dimensions of 12.29 by 8.45 by 0.035 to 0.52 inches, and my version weighed 3.27 pounds (4.14 pounds with the included 100-watt charger). This makes it slightly heavier than most executive notebooks I’ve encountered lately.
Under the display, the EliteBook X G1a boasts a 1,920-by-1,200 resolution panel with a brightness of 400 nits, which is quite standard nowadays, yet still quite impressive. HP also offers a version of the laptop with a 2,880-by-1,800 OLED touchscreen that supports 120Hz VRR, which would likely provide even superior visuals, although at the cost of battery life. I would appreciate it if HP offered a touch option for the FHD display, but I understand the desire to limit choices. As is typical with such laptops, the bezels on the EliteBook X G1a are minimal, although the top bezel is sufficiently large to accommodate the 5-megapixel camera.
On the sides of the laptop, there is a well-organized selection of ports. The left side includes an HDMI port, a 40Gbps Thunderbolt 4/USB-C port, and a 10Gbps USB port, along with an audio jack. On the right side, there’s another 40Gbps Thunderbolt/USB-C, a 10Gbps USB-A 3.2 port, and a locking slot. I appreciate that the laptop includes both USB-A and HDMI ports while offering USB-C on both sides, making it easier to plug in the charger. The EliteBook X G1a is equipped with Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 4.5, but it does not have a 5G modem option.
The EliteBook X G1a also features a comfortable keyboard that comes with helpful backlighting, offering 1.5mm of key travel and indicator lights on the mute function keys, in addition to a large touchpad that supports multi-click functionality.
Our purchasing recommendation:
There’s no shortage of lightweight laptops available with long-lasting batteries. The HP EliteBook X G1a is more concentrated on delivering dependable performance during working hours. Its robust hardware effectively utilizes the large battery, the ample ports provide versatility, and the easy-to-use keyboard serves as an ergonomic command center, enabling you to settle down and complete your tasks.
Nonetheless, all that powerful hardware can get warm under pressure, and this laptop is not budget-friendly. If you’re searching for a 14-inch laptop tailored specifically for enterprise applications, this is a solid choice, but be aware that it’s quite specialized for that purpose.
How are U.S. tariffs impacting consumer technology?
The recent U.S. tariffs on imports from countries like China, Vietnam, and India are intended to promote domestic manufacturing, but they are likely to increase prices on consumer electronics. Items such as smartphones, laptops, and televisions may see higher prices as companies reassess global supply chains and consider the expenses associated with relocating production.
Consumers might also notice significant price hikes on robot vacuums and smart home devices. Manufacturers are investigating alternatives like shifting production to countries with lower tariffs, but such moves are complex and may not provide immediate solutions. In the short term, shoppers should expect increased costs for robot vacuums as a result of these trade policies.