The battery runtime on the HP Elite Dragonfly G3 will knock you off your feet. According to our in-house testing, it lasted an amazing 14 hours and 20 minutes. The average laptop lasts about 10 hours, give or take, so we were taken aback to see that the Elite Dragonfly G3 survived an extra four hours.
The Elite Dragonfly G3 comes with 12th Gen Intel Core i5 and i7 processors, and a minimum of 256GB of SSD storage and 16GB of RAM. The cheapest Elite Dragonfly G3 you can get is about $1,900, but the total could climb to $3,999 if you need 32GB of RAM, 1TB of SSD storage, 5G support, and a 12th Gen Intel Core i7 vPro processor.
Best of all, the Dragonfly G3 has a good webcam. It has a 5MP shooter, which is much better than the not-so-great 720p and 1080p webcams that continue to plague the laptop market.
2. HP EliteBook x360 1040 G7
Best all-purpose business laptop
SPECIFICATIONS
CPU: Intel Core i7-10810UGPU: UHDRAM: 16GBStorage: 512GBDisplay Size/Resolution: 14-inch, 1080pSize: 12.6 x 8 x 0.7 inches Weight: 2.9 pounds
REASONS TO BUY
+Epic battery life
+Attractive, slim design
+Good 1080p display
+Fast CPU performance
REASONS TO AVOID
-Expensive
The Envy and Spectre series tend to get all the praise, but many of their best characteristics can also be found in HP’s business laptops, especially the flagship EliteBook x360 1040 G7.
It flaunts an attractive metal chassis, boasts lightning-quick performance, and lasts for more than 15 hours on a charge. The 1080p display is a good one for work and play, plenty of ports mean you don’t need a dongle, and a spattering of default and optional features make your work experience more secure and efficient.
The sky-high price means the 1040 G7 is only meant for the high-rollers; execs making six-figure salaries, invaluable researchers working long nights, and the paper pushers with a Fortune 500 company attached to their LinkedIn profiles.
3. HP EliteBook 840 G7
Best budget HP EliteBook laptop
SPECIFICATIONS
CPU: Intel Core i7-10810UGPU: UHD graphicsRAM: 16GBStorage: 512GB SSDDisplay Size/Resolution: 13.3-inch, 1080p; 14-inch, 1080pSize: 12.1 x 8.1 x 0.7 inches weight: 2.8 pounds
REASONS TO BUY
+Sleek aluminium chassis
+Fast performance
+Comfortable keyboard
+Plenty of ports
REASONS TO AVOID
-Weak graphics
The highlight of these laptops. the EliteBook 830 G7 and EliteBook 840 G7, are their sleek aluminium chassis, which smartly blend form with function. Looking past the frame, these two EliteBook models get you a solid 1080p display, fast performance, a bevvy of security features and a comfortable keyboard — everything you need to finish projects at work or relax after you clock out.
At the right price, I’d consider these models over the ThinkPad X1 Carbon, our long-standing best business laptop. It ultimately comes down to pricing — if you can find these on sale for less than their rivals, then don’t hesitate to snag them for your workforce — they’ll be happy with their new systems, trust me.
The HP EliteBook 845 G7 is a lightweight, slender 14-inch powerhouse with a lovely FHD display. At $1,419, it’s a bargain due to its speedy performance and ability to handle anything you throw at it. Whether you’re working from home, returning to the office, or travelling the world, the HP EliteBook will win you over.
The EliteBook was released without much fanfare but its snappy performance, picturesque display, and well-distributed lightweight chassis make this a great buy. I’d snatch one up while it’s still flying under the radar.
5. HP Elite Folio
Best convertible laptop
SPECIFICATIONS
CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 2GPU: Qualcomm Adreno 690RAM: 16GBStorage: 256GBDisplay: 13.5-inch, 1920 x 1280-pixelsSize: 11.75 x 9.03 x 0.63 inches weight: 2.9 pounds
REASONS TO BUY
+Innovative easel mode
+Incredible battery life
+Clicky keyboard
+Compact and lightweight
REASONS TO AVOID
-App incompatibility
-Middling performance
The HP Elite Folio is packed with innovative, solution-solving tech — not gimmicks — that substantiate its $2,000 price tag. It also gives the Energizer Bunny a run for its money; it lasted a jaw-dropping 16 hours and 21 minutes on a charge.
HOW TO CHOOSE THE BEST HP ELITEBOOK BUSINESS LAPTOP
Do your intensive daily workloads require more RAM than the average Joe? Are you a video editor who needs extra storage? Are you a power user who wants a beefy GPU? Sorting through the best laptops to fit your lifestyle is a tricky business.
To make your shopping process a little easier, our Editor-in-Chief Sherri L. Smith has put together some tried-and-true guidelines to help you choose the best laptop.
Budget: What you get for the money.
You can find decent Windows laptops and high-quality Chromebooks for under $500. However, better mainstream laptops usually cost more than $700 and premium Ultrabooks can run over $1,000. The best gaming laptops can cost $2.000 and up, but you can play the latest titles at decent frame rates on gaming laptops under $1,000.
Screen Size: 12 to 14 inches for Portability
Knowing a laptop’s screen size tells you a lot about its portability overall. If you want to use your computer on your lap or carry it around a lot, go for one with a 12, 13 or 14-inch display. If you want to use the computer on tables and desks and won’t carry it around much, a 15-inch model may give you more value. Some gaming rigs, media machines and workstations even have 17 or 18-inch screens, but those are the hardest to carry.
2-in-1 or Clamshell?
More and more of today’s laptops are 2-in-1s with screens that either bend back 360 degrees or detach so you can use them as tablets. If you like the idea of using your laptop in slate mode for drawing, media consumption or just using it standing up, a 2-in-1 could be for you. However, you can often get better features or a lower price by going with a traditional clamshell-style laptop.
Battery Life: 8+ Hours for Portability
Unless you only plan to use your laptop on your desk, battery life matters. Even within the home or office, having plenty of juice enables you to work on the couch or at the conference table, without being chained to the nearest outlet. For the best portability, we recommend getting a laptop that lasted over 8 hours on the Laptop Mag Battery Test. The longest-lasting laptops endure for over 10 hours.
Specs: 1080p / Core i5 / 8GB Are Best the Bets
You can spend a lot of time delving into specs, but here are the key components to think about. If you just want really good mainstream performance, go for a Core i5 CPU, 8GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD and a 1080p screen.
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