After Testing This Hp Laptop, I Get Why Its 'boring' Design Is Adored By Business Users

pros and cons

Pros

• Powerful hardware
• Sturdy build
• Good keyboard and trackpad

Cons

• Middling battery
• Expensive
• Thick and heavy
• Runs hot

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HP's ZBook bid intends to harvester workstation-level capacity pinch business features, and nan 14-inch ZBook G1i epitomizes nan shape factor. It's hefty, pricey, and loaded pinch high-end hardware designed to blaze done master workflows successful a non-descript, "all-business" profile.  

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I utilized nan ZBook 8 G1i arsenic my main driver for a week and came to admit its earthy horsepower, but pinch nan influx of thin-and-light laptops connected nan market, 1 can't thief but comparison it to laptops that are almost half arsenic light, pinch marathon batteries to footwear (and comparable performance). 

Still, nan ZBook 8 G1i doubles down connected its predictably firm creation by delivering precisely what you'd expect from a laptop for illustration this: power, durability, and reliability, pinch a fistful of configurations, including niche hardware options. 

Predictable performance

Available successful some 14- and 16-inch models, I tested nan 14-inch ZBook 8 Gl1 pinch an Intel Core Ultra 7 255H processor and 64 GB of DDR5-5600 RAM. This exemplary features information transportation speeds of up to 5600 MT/s and scales up to nan Intel Core Ultra 9 285H -- Intel's highest-performance spot family, pinch much CPU cores, faster timepiece speeds, and amended thermals than nan energy-efficient U aliases P series. 

Combined pinch up to 2TB of PCIe Gen4 x4 NVMeTM SSD, you've sewage a capacity powerhouse that's tin of tackling master workflows, information processing, and multitasking (and prices exceeding $3,000 connected nan precocious end). For much approachable configurations, prices hover astir and beneath $2,000 -- premier business workstation territory. 

Kyle Kucharski/ZDNET

In nan office, nan ZBook 8 Gl1 is accelerated and efficient, but each that hardware does get warm. Everyday usage of much demanding tasks for illustration record transfers aliases ample installs tended to make a adjacent magnitude of heat, particularly connected nan near broadside of nan device, wherever nan artillery relationship is. That said, thing ever exceeded concerning levels, and nan thermals put successful nan work. 

As a mobile workstation, nan ZBook 8 G1i has a bully keyboard and trackpad that facilitate all-day use. Keys are snappy and textured, and nan touchpad is responsive and appropriately placed. The buttoned-up acquisition continues pinch nan 2560 x 1600 (WQXGA) display, which runs up to 120Hz refresh, but isn't thing particularly fancy. 

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There's an action for discrete graphics pinch nan Nvidia RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU, a prime you don't spot excessively often (actually, nan first clip I've tested a laptop pinch one) that performs connected insubstantial likewise to nan GeForce GTX 1000 series.

HP cites this GPU arsenic designed for AI workflows, but nan 4GB of GDDR6 video representation -- while capable for mainstream CAD aliases 3D modeling workflows -- is notably not capable to gain nan "Copilot+ PC" moniker.

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For astir users, that's conscionable fine, aligning pinch nan laptop's much accepted business workstation personality alternatively than a forward-thinking instrumentality geared to tally nan latest AI models. Along those lines, this is nary gaming PC, arsenic nan aforementioned thermals, constricted 4GB of VRAM, and corporate-minded show don't construe to a very flashy intermezo device.

Lastly, I/O is expectedly bully for a business-minded workstation, pinch 3 USB-C ports (two of which characteristic Thunderbolt 4 support), an HDMI port, an ethernet jack, a Kensington fastener slot, and a USB-A larboard for bully measure. 

Some critiques

Kyle Kucharski/ZDNET

I recovered artillery life to beryllium middling, pinch immoderate effort needed connected nan personification extremity to champion optimize longevity. In nan office, I typically sewage to 20% astir 2 aliases 3 p.m. successful nan afternoon, pinch nan remaining fewer hours of nan workday cutting it a small excessively adjacent to zero, depending connected workload. 

The 140W powerfulness adapter that comes pinch nan ZBook 8 G1i charges accelerated (up to 50% successful 30 minutes), but again, power procreation becomes a interest erstwhile plugged in, making it palpably lukewarm and kicking connected nan fans (which aren't precisely whisper-quiet). 

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HP includes an extended suite of information features from its Wolf Pro Security Edition, including HP Sure Admin, DriveLock, and Tamper Lock -- each charismatic features for IT teams. But it besides results successful a dependable watercourse of bloatware, popups, notifications, and offers from HP's extended array of services that nan personification has to navigate. 

In that sense, this is simply a laptop champion positioned for nan business consumer, arsenic it's priced good supra accessible user rates. Even nan exemplary pinch nan Intel Core Ultra 7 255H, 32GB of RAM, and Nvidia RTX 500 Ada GPU is listed astatine $3,149 -- a reliable waste erstwhile nan latest base-model MacBook Pro M5 is connected waste for $1,700. 

ZDNET's buying advice

The HP ZBook 8 G1i is simply a powerful workstation disposable successful a big of configurations, geared for business teams that request powerful workstations for traditional, non-AI-powered workflows. It is decidedly not a trendy, thin-and-light laptop pinch a marathon battery, but alternatively a firm instrumentality that adheres to a tried-and-true capacity model. 

Starting astatine 3.19 pounds and 0.7 inches thick, it's a important laptop that wouldn't precisely spell unnoticed successful a bag, but nan big of ports, support for Wi-Fi 7, and agelong database of information guidance features make it astatine location successful nan agency and secured connected a desktop, powering a dual-monitor setup.