HP EliteBook 645 G9 laptop review: A compact and robust office laptop with (unused) potential

HP’s EliteBooks are identified for being powerful and top quality laptops for industry use. The HP EliteBook 645 G9 within the configuration 6F2Q0EA triumphed in our take a look at for precisely those causes – even supposing it unearths itself within the decrease vary of those fashions in regards to options and worth.

The 14-inch tool options an AMD Ryzen 7 5825U with an AMD Radeon RX Vega 8, paired with 16 GB DDR4 3200 unmarried channel RAM, a 512 SSD and LTE. However, the producer gives the 14-inch type with differing options, as an example the EliteBook 640 G9 with Positive View privateness, 4G/LTE modem and an Intel Core i5-1235U.

In our take a look at, the prevailing HP EliteBook 645 G9 was once post towards lots of its 14-inch competition, together with the LG UltraPC 14 with the similar CPU and the HP ProBook 440 G9 powered through Intel. 

The HP EliteBook 645 G9 has a swish and MIL-STD810G-standard, powerful case comprised of brushed aluminum. Weighing in at round 1.4 kg, the 14-inch tool is compact, just below 2 cm skinny and great and lightweight – easiest for taking with you for your travels. It does not fall out of line in comparison to its competition. We’ve not anything to critique concerning the tool’s construct. Its ports, which come with USB 4 Sort-C with DisplayPort 1.4 and Energy Supply, HDMI 2.1 and LAN, are unfold throughout either side of the pc. Energy is provided thru a separate connector.

Whilst the integrated HD IR webcam cannot boast extraordinarily nice colour accuracy, its WLAN efficiency is superb due to its Wi-Fi 6E. In case you do not need get entry to to a Wi-Fi community, the pc too can hook up with the web by way of LTE, because it has a integrated Nano SIM card slot.

Up till the 1.5 cm vast frames at the left and proper of the tool, HP have applied the width of the case for the keyboard – which is beautiful standard for this dimension and not using a numerical keypad. At round 16 x 16 mm, the keys are large enough and reasonably temporarily really feel great to kind on. Some other folks would possibly in finding the mixed arrow keys a bit of hectic. The fingerprint scanner sits underneath this. The keys F1 to F12 have the standard further purposes, which keep an eye on the keyboard backlight, display screen brightness, quantity and a couple of different issues.

The 11.5 x 6.5 inch touchpad sits in the course of the pc and does what it says at the tin. It has a nice really feel and helps multitouch gestures similar to two-finger scrolling.

In comparison to its competition, the pc’s 14-inch IPS show did the most efficient when it got here to brightness, distinction and colour replica. The panel completed a worth of just below 400 lumens – it might, then again, be lit a bit of extra frivolously. Even so, the completed price along its matte glance manner it’s greater than appropriate for out of doors use – even in direct daylight. This makes the EliteBook splendid for cellular operating out of doors. 

A controversy towards the use of the pc for pro graphic enhancing is its reasonably low colour house protection consequence. Against this, its colour replica is reasonably correct and was once through a ways the most efficient out of all of the units we when put next. Its speedy response speeds and IPS-typically just right viewing perspective steadiness are nice. There may be rarely any clouding, however we did realize somewhat of an IPS glow. 

The EliteBook 645 G9 is provided with an AMD Ryzen 7 5825U with an AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 iGPU. Its 16 GB DDR4 3200 RAM works in single-channel use. Because of a 2d SODIMM slot, RAM can also be upgraded if required. HP have mixed this with a 512 GB SSD, which may also be swapped out if vital. 

The benchmarks have been carried out the use of the Home windows efficiency stage “Very best Efficiency” except another way said. HP does no longer be offering a separate instrument with other efficiency configurations for this powerful industry pc.

The put in AMD Ryzen 7 5825U is an octa-core CPU for compact laptops and with an as much as 4.5 GHz spice up clock, it has a 100 MHz upper clock price than the Ryzen 7 5800U. The processor has 16 threads and a 16 MB L3 cache.

The processor in our take a look at tool in most cases lay at the back of its competition within the benchmark assessments, which means that it was once beneath common and beneath the LG UltraPC 14 with the similar chip. This did, then again, paintings in our take a look at pattern’s favour when it got here to temperature and noise emission traits, as those remained low. The Ryzen 7 most commonly ranked someplace within the center, however once in a while additionally towards the ground and simply over the Ryzen 5 PRO 6650U – point-wise it in truth even needed to let it cross forward now and then. All the way through the continual take a look at, this disappointing consequence a minimum of remained constant all the way through.

The CPU no longer getting used to its fullest along the single-channel RAM implies that the pc’s gadget efficiency effects have been not anything to shout about. This wasn’t too noticeable doing on a regular basis paintings, however the benchmarks confirmed this a lot clearer. Right here, the take a look at tool regularly needed to admit defeat to its competition which might be now and then extra powerfully motorized – through reasonably somewhat. Even the rival from LG with the very same processor had higher effects.

HP’s EliteBook 645 G9 did not display any conspicuous DPC latencies in our take a look at, which displays doable for its suitability for real-time audio and video enhancing. On the other hand, this could also be handiest ever a snapshot of the current configuration.

HP did not do themselves any favors on the subject of the chosen SSD from Kioxia with 512 GB of cupboard space. The measured efficiency information puts it on the backside of the sector in maximum standards. A minimum of this manageable velocity is to be had reasonably repeatedly.

The built-in Radeon RX Vega 8 GPU with 8 CUs and as much as 2,000 MHz clock price carried out even worse than the CPU. It completed remaining position within the 3DMark benchmarks and lags at the back of in relation to graphics answers. 

This ends up in moderately unimpressive gaming efficiency. If video games can also be run, then they may be able to handiest be performed easily the use of the bottom graphics settings. You’ll be able to’t even actually start to consider operating any more moderen video games – however for an place of work tool of this type, this is not too large a deal and is beside the point to the pc’s target audience.

In use, the EliteBook 645 G9 proves to be great and quiet. The 27 decibels we measured are about the similar as the encompassing ambient noise, which makes this pc slightly audible due to its switched-off cooler. If extra rigidity is put at the {hardware}, the tool emits a most of 32 decibels – nonetheless effectively quiet and the cooler stays virtually as quiet. The tool indisputably works a lot quieter than its competition.

Whilst the pc’s temperatures slightly exchange in idle mode, we measured a warmth spot of as much as 42 °C at medium load. That is lukewarm and consequently, it’s not too noticeable if you end up the use of the tool.  

In our standardized rigidity take a look at, the CPU and GPU settled at a just right 2,100 and 600 MHz respectively, and temperatures of 75 and 72 °C respectively.

The stereo audio system ship a below-average efficiency. Whilst they reproduce trebles and mids nicely, they weaken within the bass. That is enough for a piece tool. If the sound isn’t as much as your requirements, e.g. for multimedia use, then you’ll additionally attach audio system, headphones or a headset by way of the three.5 mm audio port.

The EliteBook 645 G9’s energy intake is a most of 45.7 W underneath load, which means that that the integrated 65 W energy provide is enough in dimension. In idle mode, it makes use of a median of five watts. General, the evaluate pattern is a little more frugal than, as an example, LG’s UltraPC 14 with the similar CPU or HP’s ProBook 440 G9 with the quite extra robust Intel processor.

HP’s EliteBook type is fitted with a 51.3 Wh battery. This implies its capability is beneath common in comparison to the opposite units, which is mirrored within the pc’s runtimes. Round 90 mins at complete load, 10 hours when browsing and greater than 13 hours of video playback are nonetheless no longer too shabby effects for a small and compact 14-inch pc which weighs underneath 1.4 kg.

In some ways, the HP EliteBook 645 G9 inspired right through our take a look at. It gifts itself as a stylish and compact, in addition to reasonably gentle and powerful industry pc which could also be well-suited for commute. Along this, its vivid show is superb for out of doors use.

Within the provide configuration, the EliteBook’s efficiency is missing and the {hardware} is not getting used to its fullest doable. Its efficiency is enough for on a regular basis use, however for extra advanced duties, it’s going to most likely run out of puff.

This therefore manner, then again, that the pc runs reasonably quietly in use or even at load, it does not get very warm. With reference to its battery, connectivity and co, the tool undoubtedly does not wreck any data, nevertheless it nonetheless plays somewhat nicely on the finish of the day.

All-in-all, the HP EliteBook 645 G9’s sure facets outweigh the negatives – if you do not call for anything else too straining from the {hardware}. That is very true for a present worth of underneath $1,000. In case you are searching for higher efficiency in a 14-inch pc, you will have to check out the Lenovo Yoga Professional 7 or the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s. Or you’ll take a look at the opposite configurations of HP’s EliteBook.

The HP EliteBook 645 G9 (AMD Ryzen 7 5825U, AMD Ryzen Graphics, 16 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD) has an MRSP of $1,008.70 and you’ll acquire it at once on HP’s web site.

However, You’ll be able to in finding it inexpensive on Amazon for $734.99.