Of the two big American Windows PC manufacturers, HP has definitely been the one to embrace AMD more readily. Even so, the most expensive HP EliteBook, the EliteBook 1000, has always been exclusive to Intel. Until now, that is: The new HP EliteBook X, the successor series to the EliteBook 1000, launches with the first premium AMD model of the line, the HP EliteBook X G1a.

At the heart of the new EliteBook laptop lies the new AMD Ryzen AI Pro 300 series of CPUs. However, different from competitors like the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 AMD that was announced at IFA 2024, HP's new offering seems to place a much greater emphasis on performance. HP implements a design with two cooling fans, enabling the system to consume up to 40 W - a power limit roughly double that of most business laptops.

Adopting a similar "more is more" philosophy when it comes to battery life, HP puts a large 74.5 Wh battery into the slender 18.1mm thick 14-inch frame. This promises epic battery life for busy travelers. However, in return, said travelers have to accept a comparably high starting weight of 1.49 kg or 3.3 lbs.

With the screen of the EliteBook X G1a, customers get the choice between a basic WUXGA (1,920 x 1,200) IPS panel and a high end 2.8K (2,880 x 1,800) OLED panel with 120 Hz refresh rate. Both screens reach 400 cd/m² of brightness. A major differentiator between them is the color gamut, as the IPS screen just manages the basic sRGB. The OLED display covers the wider DCI P3 gamut.

The performance of the AMD Ryzen AI 300 is backed up by up to 64 GB LPDDR5X-8000 as well as a 2 TB PCIe Gen 5 SSD. The port selection is both modern and stacked with legacy ports, as the new HP EliteBook laptop offers HDMI, USB-A and three USB-C ports, two of which support Thunderbolt 4. One of the USB-C ports is on the right, so the system can be charged from both sides.

In terms of communications, HP uses a MediaTek module that supports the newest Wi-Fi 7 standard. The five megapixel webcam is supported by HP with their Poly Camera Pro app that offers various AI enhancements. The device also has an inbuilt HP AI assistant that uses a local small language model to help users analyze and organize their data. Last but not least, HP now uses more recycled materials for the laptop chassis and packaging.

HP EliteBook X G1a: Pricing and availability

The HP EliteBook X G1a will be on the market in December 2024. Pricing will be announced closer to availability.