The HP Elitebook x360 1040 G10a aims to bridge the gap between ultraportable business laptops and mobile workstations. While its price tag puts it in competition with consumer laptops boasting more powerful hardware, the Elitebook x360 1040 G10a offers a blend of performance, design, and features tailored for business professionals. But does it justify the premium? Let’s dive in.
Specifications and Features
The Elitebook x360 1040 G10a’s performance hinges on the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 processor, featuring 12 cores, 24 threads, and integrated AMD Radeon 890M graphics. The review unit boasted a generous 64GB of LPDDR5x RAM and a 1TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD. Here’s a breakdown of the key specs:
- CPU: AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375
- Memory: 64GB LPDDR5x-8533
- Graphics: AMD Radeon 890M Graphics
- NPU: AMD NPU up to 55 TOPS
- Display: 2880 x 1800 OLED Multi-touch, up to 120Hz, 16:10 aspect ratio
- Storage: 1TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD
- Webcam: 1440p 30fps with IR 3D for Windows Hello, privacy shutter
- Connectivity: 2x Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C 4, DisplayPort, Power Delivery), 1x USB-C (DisplayPort, Power Delivery, 10Gbps data), 1x USB-A (10Gbps data), 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x 3.5mm audio
- Networking: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4
- Biometrics: Windows Hello facial recognition, fingerprint reader
- Battery: 74.5Wh
- Dimensions: 12.29 x 8.45 x 0.72 inches
- Weight: 3.3 pounds
- MSRP: $2,749 (as reviewed)
Design and Build
HP Elitebook design
The Elitebook x360 1040 G10a prioritizes understated elegance over flashy aesthetics. The simple silver chassis, accented by a small HP logo, exudes a professional vibe. Rounded corners and beveled edges soften the overall look, while premium materials contribute to a sense of durability. While the official height is listed as 0.52 inches, the inclusion of rubber feet brings the actual thickness closer to 0.72 inches. This is slightly thicker than some competitors but remains manageable thanks to its 3.3-pound weight.
Keyboard and Trackpad
HP Elitebook keyboard
The keyboard is a standout feature, offering a spacious layout with large, well-spaced keys. Generous key travel and tactile feedback create a satisfying typing experience. The large font on the keycaps, further enhanced by a backlight, ensures easy visibility. The touchpad, while responsive, is less remarkable. Its average size and unremarkable feel don’t detract significantly from the overall experience, but physical click buttons offer a satisfying tactile response.
Display and Audio
HP Elitebook hero straight on
The 14-inch OLED touchscreen, with its 2880 x 1800 resolution and 16:10 aspect ratio, delivers vivid colors, deep contrast, and smooth motion thanks to its 120Hz refresh rate. While the 403-nit brightness is typical for this panel, the glossy finish can make it appear dimmer in bright environments. The upward-firing speakers offer decent volume and clarity at lower levels but can sound harsh and boomy at higher volumes, lacking bass.
Webcam, Microphone, and Biometrics
The 1440p webcam is a highlight, producing sharp, clear images with accurate color reproduction. A physical privacy shutter adds a welcome layer of security. The dual-array microphone performs well, capturing clear audio even in quiet environments and effectively suppressing background noise. Both Windows Hello facial recognition and a fingerprint reader in the power button provide quick and reliable biometric login options.
Connectivity
HP Elitebook ports
The Elitebook x360 1040 G10a embraces modern connectivity with two Thunderbolt 4 ports and one USB-C port, all supporting Power Delivery and DisplayPort. A single USB-A port caters to legacy devices. The strategically placed Thunderbolt 4 ports, one on each side, offer flexibility for docking and hub connections. The included 100-watt power adapter with its six-foot braided cable can charge the laptop through any of the USB-C or Thunderbolt 4 ports.
Performance
HP Elitebook PCMark results
While the PCMark 10 scores were somewhat underwhelming, the Elitebook x360 1040 G10a shone in Cinebench R23 and Handbrake, showcasing the strength of the Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 processor, especially in multi-threaded workloads.
HP Elitebook Cinebench results
HP Elitebook Handbrake results
The Radeon 890M integrated graphics delivers impressive performance for its class, achieving scores around 4,000 in 3DMark Time Spy.
HP Elitebook 3DMark results
While not a gaming powerhouse, it handles light 3D tasks and older games adequately.
Battery Life
HP Elitebook battery life results
Despite its large 74.5Wh battery, the Elitebook x360 1040 G10a achieved just under 11 hours in our video playback test. Real-world usage showed similar results, with battery drain proving faster than expected under moderate workloads. While adequate for many scenarios, it falls short of some competitors.
Software and AI
The Elitebook x360 1040 G10a is marketed as a Windows Copilot+ PC and includes HP’s AI Companion software. While offering access to a capable LLM, it doesn’t provide any functionality beyond what’s available with free alternatives like ChatGPT. The 64GB RAM allows for loading large language models like Llama-3.3-70B-Instruct, although text generation speeds are too slow for practical use. Smaller models like DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 7B perform better. The laptop also includes IT management and security features like HP Wolf Security.
Conclusion
The HP Elitebook x360 1040 G10a is a compelling business laptop that balances performance and portability. Its strengths lie in its excellent keyboard, vibrant display, robust connectivity, and strong processor performance. However, its mediocre battery life and high price tag might give some pause. While it targets business leaders, its value proposition might be challenged by consumer laptops offering comparable performance at lower prices.
