HP EliteBook 1040 MSRP $3,089.00 Score Details “The HP EliteBook 1040 G11 proves that business laptops don't have to be stodgy.” Pros Cons Business laptops are a different breed, offering more security and management features to accommodate the largest organizations. They also offer a wider range of configuration options and better warranties. HP’s EliteBook 1040 series has long been among the most impressive of these.
Design The EliteBook 1040 has always enjoyed a premium design, and the 2024 model is no different. It may not be CNC machined out of a chunk of aluminum like the Apple MacBook lineup, but it’s equally as well made, with no bending, flexing, or twisting. The all-metal chassis has a nice texture that’s pleasant to handle, and the hinge is smooth and the lid opens with one hand. HP hit all the finer points that elevate the EliteBook 1040 above a less expensive laptop like the HP Envy x360 14.
The mechanical touchpad is large and has quiet, confident clicks. It’s a good touchpad, at least compared to many other mechanical versions. At these prices, though, HP should have incorporated a haptic touchpad. Some other premium laptops have one, including the HP Spectre x360 14 that has an excellent implementation. Again, Apple leads the way with its Force Touch haptic touchpad with Force Click functionality.
Security and manageability is where the EliteBook 1040 is most differentiated from consumer laptops. To begin with, there’s an infrared camera for Windows 11 Hello facial recognition, as well as a fingerprint reader embedded in the power button . Both are backed by the usual Trusted Platform Module for on-device encryption.
I reviewed the laptop with the 28-watt Core Ultra 7 165H, a 16-core , 22-thread chipset running at up to 5GHz. That’s slightly faster than the more common Core Ultra 7 155H, but not significantly. In our suite of benchmarks, the EliteBook 1040 was plenty fast, but not so much faster that performance alone is a reason to buy it.
In any event, the EliteBook 1040 may or may not last for upwards of a working day depending on workflow. If battery life matters to you, make sure you opt for the larger battery.