For professionals who demand peak performance and a premium experience, the landscape of business laptops is constantly evolving. Stepping into the spotlight is the HP EliteBook X G1a, a 14-inch powerhouse engineered to tackle demanding workloads with cutting-edge technology and a sophisticated design. Positioned as a top-performing business laptop for 2025, the EliteBook X G1a aims to impress with its powerful processor, stunning display options, and a suite of features tailored for the modern professional.
Unrivaled Performance at Your Fingertips
At the heart of the HP EliteBook X G1a lies the formidable AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX Pro 375 processor. This processor is specifically geared towards business users who require the utmost performance, placing it at the top of its class. Its exceptional single and multi-core performance allows for seamless handling of everyday tasks like Microsoft Office, email, and web browsing, all executed with remarkable speed and efficiency. Even more demanding tasks such as 1080p video editing and light 4K editing in DaVinci Resolve are well within its capabilities.
Complementing this powerful CPU is the AMD Radeon 890M integrated graphics. This provides an excellent graphics solution for integrated graphics, making it capable for light gaming during downtime and handling graphically intensive productivity applications. While synthetic benchmarks might show it neck-and-neck with competitors in some areas, real-world usage demonstrates its strong capabilities. The integrated Neural Processing Unit (NPU) offering up to 55 TOPS further enhances its capabilities, enabling efficient local processing for AI-driven workflows and features. This translates to improved performance in AI-enhanced applications and features like those found in the HP Companion AI app and Poly Camera Pro.
The model reviewed often features a substantial amount of RAM, up to 64GB or even 128GB in some configurations, ensuring smooth multitasking even with numerous applications running simultaneously. The inclusion of a blazing-fast SSD, often a 1TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 drive, contributes to rapid boot times and application loading speeds. Importantly, the SSD is user-upgradeable, offering future flexibility.
Premium Design and Robust Build Quality
The HP EliteBook X G1a exudes professionalism with its understated silver design. The all-metal construction not only feels premium to the touch but also contributes to the laptop's robust build quality. While it might be slightly thicker and heavier than some ultraportable competitors utilizing Intel's Lunar Lake or Snapdragon X Elite processors, the trade-off is justifiable considering the enhanced performance and cooling capabilities. The design is also practical, showing very few fingerprints, maintaining a clean and professional appearance. The laptop's hinge allows for opening the screen with a single finger, demonstrating its premium construction and minimal screen wobble.
Stunning Visuals with Display Options
Recognizing the diverse needs of professionals, the HP EliteBook X G1a offers two distinct display options: a Full HD (1920 x 1200) matte display with a 60Hz refresh rate and a 2.8K (2880 x 1800) OLED touch display with a dynamic 120Hz refresh rate. The Full HD option prioritizes maximized battery life, making it ideal for users who spend long periods away from a power source.
For those who prioritize visual fidelity and content creation, the 2.8K OLED display is a standout feature. Its high resolution, vibrant colours, deep blacks, and excellent contrast provide an exceptional viewing experience for both work and entertainment. The 120Hz refresh rate ensures smooth scrolling and a fluid visual experience. This display also boasts excellent colour gamut coverage and accuracy, crucial for tasks like photo and video editing. The inclusion of touch functionality on the OLED model adds another layer of versatility. However, it's worth noting that the OLED display utilizes PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) for brightness control, which might cause screen flickering that could affect sensitive users. The OLED display also has a glossy finish, which, while enhancing vibrancy, can be more susceptible to reflections. Both displays offer good brightness levels and wide viewing angles.
Comfortable Typing and Responsive Trackpad
The HP EliteBook X G1a features a premier keyboard that has garnered positive feedback for its comfortable typing experience. The keys offer great key travel and tactility, making typing out documents and emails a pleasant task. The layout is well-designed, and the inclusion of a Co-pilot key provides quick access to AI-powered assistance. The keys are also designed with dark keycaps that enhance visibility when the backlight is activated.
The laptop is equipped with a glass Precision touchpad that is very responsive for scrolling and gestures. While it lacks the haptic feedback found on some other premium laptops, it performs its function effectively. The touchpad offers significant physical travel for right and left clicks at the bottom, a feature some users will appreciate.
Enhanced Connectivity and Security
The HP EliteBook X G1a offers a comprehensive array of ports to cater to various connectivity needs. On the left side, you'll find an HDMI 2.1 port, two USB Type-C ports (one USB 3.2 Gen 2 and one Thunderbolt 4), and a headphone/microphone combo jack. The right side houses a second Thunderbolt 4 port, a USB Type-A port, and a Kensington lock slot. The strategic placement of the two Thunderbolt 4 ports on opposite sides of the laptop is a thoughtful design choice, offering greater versatility for connecting docks and hubs. Notably absent is a microSD or full-size SD card reader.
Security is paramount for business laptops, and the EliteBook X G1a doesn't disappoint. It features a 5-megapixel webcam with IR capabilities for Windows Hello facial recognition. A physical privacy shutter for the webcam provides an added layer of security. The power button doubles as a fingerprint scanner for secure biometric login. Additionally, the laptop often includes HP's Wolf Security features, providing robust endpoint protection.
Immersive Audio and High-Quality Webcam
For video conferencing and multimedia consumption, the HP EliteBook X G1a boasts amazing speakers tuned by Bang & Olufsen. The audio quality is reported to be exceptional, with good volume and clarity. The integration of Poly Studio audio tuning further enhances the audio experience.
The 5-megapixel webcam delivers outstanding video quality with a crisp and sharp image and good colour reproduction, making it ideal for Zoom calls and video conferencing. The dual-array microphone is also solid, capturing voice clearly and effectively reducing background noise. The included Poly Camera Pro app provides a range of features for video calls, such as background blur, auto-framing, and other AI-powered enhancements.
Battery Life and Efficiency
The HP EliteBook X G1a generally offers good battery life, providing a balance between performance and efficiency. While it might not match the longevity of some competitors with ARM-based processors like those from Lunar Lake or Snapdragon X Elite, it is still capable of getting users through a significant portion of a workday, especially with the Full HD display option. The laptop features a 74.5 watt-hour battery. All the Thunderbolt 4 and USB-C ports support USB Power Delivery, allowing for flexible charging options.
Premium Price for a Premium Experience
It's important to acknowledge that the HP EliteBook X G1a comes with a premium price tag, reflecting its high-end features and performance. The starting price is in the range of $2,200, with configurations featuring the OLED display and higher specifications reaching around $2,700 or even more. While this positions it as an expensive option compared to some consumer laptops, it aligns with other premium business-focused laptops from Dell and Lenovo. For professionals who prioritize top-tier performance, a robust build, excellent features, and future-proof connectivity, the HP EliteBook X G1a presents a compelling, albeit costly, option.
Conclusion: A Top-Tier Business Laptop
The HP EliteBook X G1a stands out as a high-performing and feature-rich 14-inch business laptop that caters to the needs of demanding professionals. Its powerful AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX Pro 375 processor, coupled with Radeon 890M graphics and an NPU for AI tasks, delivers exceptional performance for a wide range of applications. The choice between a battery-efficient Full HD matte display and a stunning 2.8K OLED touch display offers flexibility for different user preferences. The premium design, comfortable keyboard, responsive touchpad, comprehensive connectivity, and advanced security features further solidify its position as a top contender in the premium business laptop segment. While the price is high and the battery life might not lead the pack, the overall package offered by the HP EliteBook X G1a makes it a compelling choice for those who require the best in Windows-based business computing in 2025.