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MagyarHP EliteBook 840 Aero G8 review: Possibly the quietest Intel EVO laptop we've ever seen
The EliteBook 800 series consists of HP's upper mid-range business laptops in contrast to the lower-end ProBook series or higher-end EliteBook 1000 series. Our model today is the 14-inch EliteBook 840 G8 to succeed last year's EliteBook 840 G7. The system adopts the same chassis as the G7 while updating the internals to 11th gen Intel Tiger Lake-U options. A 15.6-inch version called the EliteBook 850 G8 is also available.
Configurations are wide and varied not unlike most other EliteBook models. CPU options range from the Core i5-1135G7 to i7-1185G7 with vPro, 250-nit to 1000-nit display, 4 GB to 64 GB of RAM, optional 5G Nano-SIM and eSIM support, and 128 GB to 2 TB PCIe NVMe SSD. All SKUs comes with integrated Iris Xe graphics and a 1080p panel.
Alternatives include other high-end 14-inch business laptops like the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s, Vaio Z, Dell Latitude 9420, or MSI Summit E14.
More HP reviews:
potential competitors in comparison
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Height | Size | Resolution | Best Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 89.8 % | 08/2021 | HP EliteBook 840 Aero G8 3E4Q6AA i7-1185G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs | 1.2 kg | 17.9 mm | 14.00" | 1920x1080 | |
| 83.3 % | 05/2021 | HP ProBook 440 G8-2W1G4EA i7-1165G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs | 1.4 kg | 19 mm | 14.00" | 1920x1080 | |
| 88.6 % | 04/2018 | HP EliteBook 840 G5-3JX66EA i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620 | 1.5 kg | 17.9 mm | 14.00" | 1920x1080 | |
| 82.3 % | 07/2021 | MSI Summit E14 A11SCS i7-1185G7, GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Max-Q | 1.3 kg | 16 mm | 14.00" | 3840x2160 | |
| 83.8 % | 02/2021 | VAIO Z VJZ141C11L i7-11375H, Iris Xe G7 96EUs | 1 kg | 16.9 mm | 14.00" | 3840x2160 | |
| 89.4 % | 07/2021 | Lenovo ThinkPad T14s G2 20WM003TGE i7-1165G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs | 1.3 kg | 16.14 mm | 14.00" | 1920x1080 |
Case — Sharper and Shorter
Owners of the G7 won't be missing much by skipping the G8 save for all the internal performance updates since they both share the same chassis. Older EliteBook 800 laptops are traditionally rounder and thicker than the pricier EliteBook 1000 models like the EliteBook 1030 or 1040, but the 840 G7/G8 design brings the 800 series much closer to the 1000 series from a visual standpoint.
Chassis quality is excellent with just minor flexing along the keyboard center or corners of the base or lid. The center of the outer lid is perhaps the most susceptible to flexing which is common on most laptops. The Dell Latitude 9420 is tougher-built than our HP albeit at the cost of extra weight.
HP has shrunk the bottom bezel by almost 20 mm for a much smaller form factor and lighter weight than the older EliteBook 840 G5 design. The system is slightly thicker than many alternative models like the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s G2, Vaio Z, or MSI Summit E14, but this disadvantage is minor when compared to the more significant size and weight savings.
Connectivity — Now with Thunderbolt 4
Port options have changed from the older EliteBook 840 G5. Gone are the RJ-45 and proprietary docking port in favor of a second USB-C port compatible with Thunderbolt 4 accessories. The barrel charger port remains meaning owners have the option to charge the system via barrel or universal USB-C.
It would have been better to spread out the USB-C ports along both the left and right edges for easier charging much like on the Razer Blade Stealth or Vaio Z.
Communication — 5G Compatible
Most SKUs come configured with the Intel AX201 for Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity. Transfer rates are high and consistent when paired with our Netgear RAX200 test router.
Webcam
Security
HP includes a suite of security features both within and outside of Windows which is a key differentiating factor between the EliteBook series and Spectre series. Physical webcam shutter, DriveLock, Secure Erase, TPM 2.0, optional Scart Card, Sure Click, and BIOSphere are just a few examples.
Maintenance
The bottom panel requires only a Philips screwdriver to open with thankfully no screws hidden underneath the rubber feet. Owners will have access to the M.2 2280 storage slot, M.2 WLAN module, and both SODIMM bays.
Accessories and Warranty
The retail box includes no extras beyond the paperwork and USB-C AC adapter. There are, however, plenty of HP branded accessories including USB-C docking stations, adapters, and sleeves available.
A one-year limited manufacturer warranty comes standard compared to three years on the pricier EliteBook 1000 series.
Input Devices — Not Spongy At All
Keyboard
HP Spectre and EliteBook keyboards are some of our favorites as they balance feedback, travel, and clatter better than other business laptops. Feedback in particular is crisper to avoid the usual spongy feel that is common on thin-and-light designs.
A two-level single-zone white backlight comes standard.
Touchpad
HP has preserved the area of the clickpad from the older EliteBook 840 G5 at 11 x 6 cm. It's a bit smaller than the clickpad on the MSI Summit E14 (10.5 x 6.5 cm), but the HP actually comes with dedicated mouse buttons for more reliable multi-touch inputs. Glide is very smooth with minimal sticking even at slow speeds while the mouse buttons and clickpad are each firm and with loud clatter when pressed.
Display — 16:9 is Getting Stale
HWiNFO is only able to identify the AU Optronics AUO068B controller but not the exact model of the panel. Nevertheless, our measurements show excellent results across most aspects including the high contrast ratio, wide color coverage, and bright 400-nit display to corroborate HP's claim of a 400-nit panel.
The main drawback of the display is its slow black-white and gray-gray response times for noticeable ghosting especially if running games. There are also no 4K or OLED options while a number of business laptops like the ThinkPad X13 or Dell Latitude 9420 have already moved on to the more desirable 16:10 aspect ratio.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 84 %
Center on Battery: 466.4 cd/m²
Contrast: 1458:1 (Black: 0.32 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 2.84 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5, calibrated: 2.27
ΔE Greyscale 3.7 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
69.3% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
97.6% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
68% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.13
| HP EliteBook 840 Aero G8 3E4Q6AA AU Optronics AUO068B, IPS, 14.00, 1920x1080 | HP ProBook 440 G8-2W1G4EA AU Optronics AUO818B, VA, 14.00, 1920x1080 | HP EliteBook 840 G5-3JX66EA AUO3B3D, IPS, 14.00, 1920x1080 | MSI Summit E14 A11SCS AU Optronics AUO123B, IPS, 14.00, 3840x2160 | VAIO Z VJZ141C11L BOE NE140QUM-N62, IPS, 14.00, 3840x2160 | Lenovo ThinkPad T14s G2 20WM003TGE NE140FHM-N61, IPS LED, 14.00, 1920x1080 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display | -45% | -11% | 25% | 23% | -3% | |
| Display P3 Coverage | 68 | 37.02 -46% | 60.2 -11% | 87.5 29% | 95.7 41% | 68.1 0% |
| sRGB Coverage | 97.6 | 55.6 -43% | 88.2 -10% | 100 2% | 99.5 2% | 91.7 -6% |
| AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 69.3 | 38.25 -45% | 61.3 -12% | 99.4 43% | 86.4 25% | 67.1 -3% |
| Response Times | 7% | 1% | -8% | 3% | -30% | |
| Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 48 ? | 43 ? 10% | 42.4 ? 12% | 52 ? -8% | 46.8 ? 2% | 68 ? -42% |
| Response Time Black / White * | 28.8 ? | 28 ? 3% | 31.6 ? -10% | 30.8 ? -7% | 28 ? 3% | 34 ? -18% |
| PWM Frequency | 22730 ? | |||||
| Screen | -59% | -29% | -23% | 1% | -24% | |
| Brightness middle | 466.4 | 253 -46% | 414 -11% | 593.3 27% | 368.3 -21% | 422.9 -9% |
| Brightness | 426 | 230 -46% | 387 -9% | 571 34% | 361 -15% | 397 -7% |
| Brightness Distribution | 84 | 82 -2% | 87 4% | 87 4% | 90 7% | 91 8% |
| Black Level * | 0.32 | 0.29 9% | 0.25 22% | 0.53 -66% | 0.22 31% | 0.32 -0% |
| Contrast | 1458 | 872 -40% | 1656 14% | 1119 -23% | 1674 15% | 1322 -9% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 2.84 | 5.35 -88% | 5.5 -94% | 4.42 -56% | 3.27 -15% | 4.8 -69% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 4.73 | 17.08 -261% | 9.9 -109% | 7.16 -51% | 5.43 -15% | 8.7 -84% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated * | 2.27 | 2.3 -1% | 4.3 -89% | 2.33 -3% | 1.9 16% | |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 3.7 | 3.75 -1% | 6.4 -73% | 3.2 14% | 2.9 22% | 6.1 -65% |
| Gamma | 2.13 103% | 2.48 89% | 2.31 95% | 2.04 108% | 2.2 100% | 2.23 99% |
| CCT | 6886 94% | 6446 101% | 7811 83% | 6737 96% | 6071 107% | 7635 85% |
| Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998) | 35 | 56.9 | 76.8 | |||
| Color Space (Percent of sRGB) | 55 | 88.1 | 99.5 | |||
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | -32% /
-46% | -13% /
-21% | -2% /
-11% | 9% /
6% | -19% /
-21% |
* ... smaller is better
Color coverage is excellent at 98 percent of sRGB to be slightly better than the panel on the older EliteBook 840 G5. The model offers no options for full AdobeRGB or P3 coverage at the moment.
The display is decently calibrated out of the box with average grayscale and color DeltaE values of only 3.7 and 2.84, respectively. Color temperature is ever-so-slightly on the cool side, however.
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 28.8 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 14 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 14.8 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows relatively slow response rates in our tests and may be too slow for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 72 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.5 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 48 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 23.6 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 24.4 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 80 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.7 ms). | ||
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM not detected |  | ||
In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 17900 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured. | |||
Outdoor visibility is decent when under shade especially since there is very little glare from the matte panel. We recommend disabling the Display Power Savings feature through the Intel Graphics Command Center software or else maximum brightness will automatically drop to 399 nits from 466 nits when running on battery power.
HP offers an even brighter 1000-nit panel option for better outdoor visibility than most other business laptops.
Performance
All EliteBook 840 G8 SKUs come with 11th gen Intel Core-U CPUs. For AMD options, you'll have to look at the EliteBook 845 G8 which omits a few features from the Intel-powered EliteBook 840 G8 like 5G and Thunderbolt support.
Processor
Raw multi-thread performance is about 15 percent slower than the average Core i7-1185G7 laptop in our database. Turbo Boost performance is also not as reliable as expected when compared to something like the MSI Summit E14 which comes with the exact same processor. We suspect that HP's insistence on quieter fan noise is holding back the processor from running at higher clock rates for longer periods.
Downgrading to the Core i5-1135G7 or 1145G7 configurations is expected to entail a 10 to 15 percent dip in performance when compared to our Core i7-1185G7 configuration.
Cinebench R15 Multi Loop
Cinebench R23: Multi Core | Single Core
Cinebench R15: CPU Multi 64Bit | CPU Single 64Bit
Blender: v2.79 BMW27 CPU
7-Zip 18.03: 7z b 4 -mmt1 | 7z b 4
Geekbench 5.5: Single-Core | Multi-Core
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2: 4k Preset
LibreOffice : 20 Documents To PDF
R Benchmark 2.5: Overall mean
Cinebench R23: Multi Core | Single Core
Cinebench R15: CPU Multi 64Bit | CPU Single 64Bit
Blender: v2.79 BMW27 CPU
7-Zip 18.03: 7z b 4 -mmt1 | 7z b 4
Geekbench 5.5: Single-Core | Multi-Core
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2: 4k Preset
LibreOffice : 20 Documents To PDF
R Benchmark 2.5: Overall mean
* ... smaller is better
System Performance
PCMark results are a hair slower than most other Ultrabooks with the same processor likely due to the lower CPU performance mentioned above. The difference is minor enough to be unnoticeable in most tasks.
| PCMark 10 / Score | |
| MSI Summit E14 A11SCS | |
| VAIO Z VJZ141C11L | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T14s G2 20WM003TGE | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1185G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs (4746 - 5561, n=20) | |
| HP EliteBook 840 Aero G8 3E4Q6AA | |
| HP ProBook 440 G8-2W1G4EA | |
| HP EliteBook 840 G5-3JX66EA | |
| PCMark 10 / Essentials | |
| VAIO Z VJZ141C11L | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T14s G2 20WM003TGE | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1185G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs (8279 - 10664, n=20) | |
| HP EliteBook 840 Aero G8 3E4Q6AA | |
| MSI Summit E14 A11SCS | |
| HP ProBook 440 G8-2W1G4EA | |
| HP EliteBook 840 G5-3JX66EA | |
| PCMark 10 / Productivity | |
| MSI Summit E14 A11SCS | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T14s G2 20WM003TGE | |
| VAIO Z VJZ141C11L | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1185G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs (5799 - 8770, n=20) | |
| HP EliteBook 840 Aero G8 3E4Q6AA | |
| HP ProBook 440 G8-2W1G4EA | |
| HP EliteBook 840 G5-3JX66EA | |
| PCMark 10 / Digital Content Creation | |
| MSI Summit E14 A11SCS | |
| VAIO Z VJZ141C11L | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T14s G2 20WM003TGE | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1185G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs (4424 - 5684, n=20) | |
| HP EliteBook 840 Aero G8 3E4Q6AA | |
| HP ProBook 440 G8-2W1G4EA | |
| HP EliteBook 840 G5-3JX66EA | |
| PCMark 10 Score | 4879 points | |
Help | ||
DPC Latency
LatencyMon shows DPC latency issues when opening multiple browser tabs on our homepage which is unfortunate for an office-centric laptop. 4K video playback at 60 FPS is otherwise smooth and without any issues.
| DPC Latencies / LatencyMon - interrupt to process latency (max), Web, Youtube, Prime95 | |
| HP ProBook 440 G8-2W1G4EA | |
| HP EliteBook 840 Aero G8 3E4Q6AA | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T14s G2 20WM003TGE | |
| MSI Summit E14 A11SCS | |
| VAIO Z VJZ141C11L | |
* ... smaller is better
Storage Devices
Our unit houses a SK Hynix PC711 PCIe 3 NVMe SSD with excellent sequential read and write rates approaching 3000+ MB/s each. It's a higher-end drive from the manufacturer that's comparable to the Samsung PM981a, but newer PCIe 4 drives like the Samsung PM9A1 are even faster.
| HP EliteBook 840 Aero G8 3E4Q6AA SK Hynix PC711 512GB HFS512GDE9X073N | HP ProBook 440 G8-2W1G4EA Lite-On CL1-8D512 | HP EliteBook 840 G5-3JX66EA Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV256G | MSI Summit E14 A11SCS Phison 1TB SM2801T24GKBB4S-E162 | VAIO Z VJZ141C11L Samsung PM9A1 MZVL2512HCJQ | Lenovo ThinkPad T14s G2 20WM003TGE Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AS SSD | -74% | -98% | 92% | 112% | 10% | |
| Seq Read | 2857 | 1681 -41% | 1611 -44% | 3845 35% | 5533 94% | 2825 -1% |
| Seq Write | 1569 | 210.1 -87% | 339 -78% | 2283 46% | 3289 110% | 1288 -18% |
| 4K Read | 58.5 | 24.86 -58% | 29.01 -50% | 54.3 -7% | 72.5 24% | 61.2 5% |
| 4K Write | 131 | 73.6 -44% | 93.6 -29% | 78.5 -40% | 213.7 63% | 190.6 45% |
| 4K-64 Read | 1074 | 291.5 -73% | 413.3 -62% | 1341 25% | 2128 98% | 1147 7% |
| 4K-64 Write | 1554 | 135.2 -91% | 248.3 -84% | 2143 38% | 2032 31% | 1827 18% |
| Access Time Read * | 0.036 | 0.078 -117% | 0.321 -792% | 0.049 -36% | 0.039 -8% | 0.055 -53% |
| Access Time Write * | 0.086 | 0.152 -77% | 0.053 38% | 0.041 52% | 0.06 30% | 0.019 78% |
| Score Read | 1418 | 484 -66% | 603 -57% | 1780 26% | 2754 94% | 1491 5% |
| Score Write | 1841 | 230 -88% | 376 -80% | 2450 33% | 2574 40% | 2146 17% |
| Score Total | 3934 | 895 -77% | 1232 -69% | 5069 29% | 6629 69% | 4336 10% |
| Copy ISO MB/s | 822 | 319.2 -61% | 2035 148% | 2235 172% | ||
| Copy Program MB/s | 144.7 | 168.2 16% | 956 561% | 796 450% | ||
| Copy Game MB/s | 409.7 | 309.3 -25% | 1951 376% | 1652 303% | ||
| CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6 | -46% | -44% | 43% | 65% | 5% | |
| Write 4K | 143.3 | 122.4 -15% | 92.8 -35% | 314.4 119% | 236.7 65% | 149.7 4% |
| Read 4K | 58.1 | 24.99 -57% | 30.67 -47% | 55.9 -4% | 78.6 35% | 64.5 11% |
| Write Seq | 2003 | 653 -67% | 353.2 -82% | 2402 20% | 3689 84% | 1933 -3% |
| Read Seq | 2062 | 1686 -18% | 1937 -6% | 2408 17% | 4340 110% | 2512 22% |
| Write 4K Q32T1 | 455.7 | 298.9 -34% | 358 -21% | 840 84% | 646 42% | 514 13% |
| Read 4K Q32T1 | 481.6 | 266.2 -45% | 253.1 -47% | 925 92% | 717 49% | 475.9 -1% |
| Write Seq Q32T1 | 3175 | 460.9 -85% | 359.6 -89% | 2405 -24% | 4396 38% | 2968 -7% |
| Read Seq Q32T1 | 3518 | 1998 -43% | 2613 -26% | 4927 40% | 6804 93% | 3542 1% |
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | -60% /
-62% | -71% /
-79% | 68% /
74% | 89% /
95% | 8% /
8% |
* ... smaller is better
Disk Throttling: DiskSpd Read Loop, Queue Depth 8
GPU Performance — Massive Upgrade Over UHD Graphics 620
Graphics performance is about average when compared to other laptops with the same Iris Xe 96 EUs GPU. Results are well ahead of any current Radeon RX Vega solution to be one of the best integrated GPUs available. For more consistent gaming performance, however, a GeForce MX350 or MX450 would still be the better option.
| 3DMark 11 Performance | 6691 points | |
| 3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score | 16705 points | |
| 3DMark Fire Strike Score | 4442 points | |
| 3DMark Time Spy Score | 1642 points | |
Help | ||
Witcher 3 FPS Chart
| low | med. | high | ultra | |
| GTA V (2015) | 76.1 | 61.9 | 22.1 | 8.49 |
| The Witcher 3 (2015) | 85.6 | 52.7 | 27.7 | 13.6 |
| Dota 2 Reborn (2015) | 82.1 | 65 | 46 | 44 |
| Final Fantasy XV Benchmark (2018) | 37.1 | 20.9 | 15.3 | |
| X-Plane 11.11 (2018) | 23.4 | 33.6 | 29.2 | |
| Strange Brigade (2018) | 83.3 | 33.9 | 28.3 | 23.1 |
Emissions
System Noise — 30 dB(A) At The Highest
HP made fan noise a top priority. Even when running extreme loads like Prime95 on the High Performance power profile, fan noise would top out at just under 30 dB(A) to be one of the quietest 14-inch laptops we've reviewed. Running this same test on the Vaio Z or ThinkPad T14s G2 would result in much louder fan noises as shown by the table below.
Despite the very low noise, the fan in the HP will rarely ever idle for a completely silent experience. Expect a barely noticeable fan noise of about 27 to 28 dB(A) against a silent background of 24.1 dB(A) when browsing or web surfing.
We're able to notice slight electronic noise or coil whine when placing an ear near the keyboard keys.
| HP EliteBook 840 Aero G8 3E4Q6AA Iris Xe G7 96EUs, i7-1185G7, SK Hynix PC711 512GB HFS512GDE9X073N | HP ProBook 440 G8-2W1G4EA Iris Xe G7 96EUs, i7-1165G7, Lite-On CL1-8D512 | HP EliteBook 840 G5-3JX66EA UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV256G | MSI Summit E14 A11SCS GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Max-Q, i7-1185G7, Phison 1TB SM2801T24GKBB4S-E162 | VAIO Z VJZ141C11L Iris Xe G7 96EUs, i7-11375H, Samsung PM9A1 MZVL2512HCJQ | Lenovo ThinkPad T14s G2 20WM003TGE Iris Xe G7 96EUs, i7-1165G7, Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noise | -13% | -24% | -32% | -32% | -10% | |
| off / environment * | 24.1 | 26 -8% | 28.8 -20% | 23.9 1% | 26.1 -8% | 24.81 -3% |
| Idle Minimum * | 24.2 | 26 -7% | 28.8 -19% | 24.2 -0% | 26.1 -8% | 24.81 -3% |
| Idle Average * | 24.2 | 26 -7% | 28.8 -19% | 24.2 -0% | 26.1 -8% | 24.81 -3% |
| Idle Maximum * | 24.2 | 26 -7% | 33.1 -37% | 24.2 -0% | 29.9 -24% | 24.81 -3% |
| Load Average * | 26.9 | 36.2 -35% | 35.2 -31% | 50.2 -87% | 36.3 -35% | 35.14 -31% |
| Witcher 3 ultra * | 27.9 | 47 -68% | 43.7 -57% | |||
| Load Maximum * | 29.9 | 34.6 -16% | 35.2 -18% | 51.7 -73% | 55.4 -85% | 35.14 -18% |
* ... smaller is better
Noise Level
| Idle |
| 24.2 / 24.2 / 24.2 dB(A) |
| Load |
| 26.9 / 29.9 dB(A) |
 | ||
30 dB silent 40 dB(A) audible 50 dB(A) loud |
||
min:  , med:  , max:  Earthworks M23R, Arta (15 cm distance) environment noise: 24.1 dB(A) | ||
Temperature
Surface temperatures are warmest toward the rear center where the heat pipe is located. These hot spots can be as warm as 39 C on the keyboard and 52 C on the bottom. The latter hot spot in particular is warmer than expected; the bottom of the Vaio Z, for example, is only around 45 C when under similar conditions.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 39.2 °C / 103 F, compared to the average of 34.2 °C / 94 F, ranging from 21.2 to 62.5 °C for the class Office.
(-) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 51.2 °C / 124 F, compared to the average of 36.7 °C / 98 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 29.8 °C / 86 F, compared to the device average of 29.5 °C / 85 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 29.2 °C / 84.6 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(±) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 27.7 °C / 81.9 F (-1.5 °C / -2.7 F).
Stress Test
When stressed with Prime95, the CPU would boost to 4.3 GHz for just one or two seconds before hitting a core temperature of 100 C. Clock rates would then quickly fall off a cliff to a more stable 2.1 GHz range in order to maintain a cooler core temperature of about 83 C. Running this same test on the MSI Summit E14 equipped with the same Core i7 CPU would result in faster clock rates and warmer core temperatures of 3.0 GHz and 91 C, respectively. It's likely that HP could have boosted performance by raising the fan noise ceiling.
Running on battery power will reduce performance. A 3DMark 11 run on batteries would return Physics and Graphics scores of 7559 and 5603 points, respectively, compared to 8974 and 6715 points when on mains.
| CPU Clock (GHz) | GPU Clock (MHz) | Average CPU Temperature (°C) | |
| System Idle | -- | -- | 35 |
| Prime95 Stress | ~2.1 | -- | 83 |
| Prime95 + FurMark Stress | ~1.2 | 600 | 74 |
| Witcher 3 Stress | ~1.7 | 950 | 72 |
Speakers
Audio quality is very good for a 14-inch business laptop. Roll-off at lower frequencies is smooth instead of abrupt for better-than-expected bass reproduction. Maximum volume could be a tad bit louder, though.
HP EliteBook 840 Aero G8 3E4Q6AA audio analysis
(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (78.6 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 11% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (10.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.3% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (3% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.5% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (12.6% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 3% of all tested devices in this class were better, 1% similar, 96% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 22%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 9% of all tested devices were better, 2% similar, 89% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Apple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (83.6 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 11.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (14.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.4% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (10.2% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 5% of all tested devices in this class were better, 2% similar, 93% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 19%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 3% of all tested devices were better, 1% similar, 96% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Energy Management — High Performance-per-Watt
Power Consumption
The difference between minimum and maximum brightness is a little less than 2.5 W on our unit and this will likely be higher on configurations with the 1000-nit panel. The system is very power efficient overall which is unsurprisingly by now since this has become a common theme amongst Tiger Lake-U-powered Ultrabooks. Running GPU-demanding loads consumes almost the same power as the EliteBook 840 G5 while offering 300 to 400 percent faster graphics performance.
We're able to measure a maximum draw of 66.5 W from the small (~8.9 x 5.3 x 2.2 cm) 65 W AC adapter when running Prime95. This rate is only temporary as shown by the graph below not unlike what we observed during the Turbo Boost stress test above.
| Off / Standby | 0.46 / 0.76 Watt |
| Idle | 3.2 / 5.4 / 6.9 Watt |
| Load |
38.9 / 66.5 Watt |
   
| |
| HP EliteBook 840 Aero G8 3E4Q6AA i7-1185G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs, SK Hynix PC711 512GB HFS512GDE9X073N, IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00 | HP ProBook 440 G8-2W1G4EA i7-1165G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs, Lite-On CL1-8D512, VA, 1920x1080, 14.00 | HP EliteBook 840 G5-3JX66EA i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV256G, IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00 | MSI Summit E14 A11SCS i7-1185G7, GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Max-Q, Phison 1TB SM2801T24GKBB4S-E162, IPS, 3840x2160, 14.00 | VAIO Z VJZ141C11L i7-11375H, Iris Xe G7 96EUs, Samsung PM9A1 MZVL2512HCJQ, IPS, 3840x2160, 14.00 | Lenovo ThinkPad T14s G2 20WM003TGE i7-1165G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs, Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR, IPS LED, 1920x1080, 14.00 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | 2% | -10% | -151% | -87% | 7% | |
| Idle Minimum * | 3.2 | 4 -25% | 3.2 -0% | 9.9 -209% | 9.5 -197% | 2.2 31% |
| Idle Average * | 5.4 | 6.2 -15% | 6.6 -22% | 17.4 -222% | 13.7 -154% | 5.5 -2% |
| Idle Maximum * | 6.9 | 7.5 -9% | 9.5 -38% | 22.5 -226% | 14.4 -109% | 6.1 12% |
| Load Average * | 38.9 | 34.7 11% | 36.2 7% | 85.6 -120% | 54.3 -40% | 41.3 -6% |
| Witcher 3 ultra * | 37 | 70.9 -92% | 46.1 -25% | 34.5 7% | ||
| Load Maximum * | 66.5 | 34 49% | 65.6 1% | 91.1 -37% | 65.5 2% | 67.3 -1% |
* ... smaller is better
Power Consumption Witcher 3 / Stresstest
Battery Life
Users can expect around 11.5 hours of real-world WLAN use to be approximately 4 hours longer than what we recorded on the older HP EliteBook 840 G5. That's pretty good considering battery capacity remains almost the same.
Charging from empty to full capacity takes about 70 to 80 minutes.
| HP EliteBook 840 Aero G8 3E4Q6AA i7-1185G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs, 53 Wh | HP ProBook 440 G8-2W1G4EA i7-1165G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs, 45 Wh | HP EliteBook 840 G5-3JX66EA i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620, 50 Wh | MSI Summit E14 A11SCS i7-1185G7, GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Max-Q, 52 Wh | VAIO Z VJZ141C11L i7-11375H, Iris Xe G7 96EUs, 53 Wh | Lenovo ThinkPad T14s G2 20WM003TGE i7-1165G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs, 57 Wh | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Runtime | 3% | -18% | -65% | -38% | -30% | |
| Reader / Idle | 1487 | 1138 -23% | 396 -73% | |||
| WiFi v1.3 | 685 | 450 -34% | 447 -35% | 271 -60% | 424 -38% | 580 -15% |
| Load | 151 | 211 40% | 156 3% | 58 -62% | 85 -44% |
Pros
Cons
Verdict — Yearning For That 16:10 Upgrade
HP has knocked it out of the park with the EliteBook 840 G8. It's loaded with features including NFC, 5G, Thunderbolt 4, Smart Card, and an optional 1000-nit panel that even Dell or Lenovo can't offer on any of their current business laptops. The excellent keyboard and clickpad, easy upgradeability, long battery life, and surprisingly quiet fan noise make this one of the best EliteBooks you can buy. Alternatives like the Vaio Z or ThinkPad T14s G2 are noticeably louder when running higher loads.
The best option if you're looking for the quietest Tiger Lake-U EVO laptop in the market. For the best Tiger Lake-U performance, however, you may want to check elsewhere.
The very quiet fan ceiling comes at the cost of processor performance. Turbo Boost sustainability suffers and so overall processor performance is about 15 to 20 percent slower than the average laptop equipped with the same Core i7-1185G7 CPU. We would have preferred a software or BIOS option to raise the fan ceiling for higher performance if desired, but we suspect that the majority of users will prefer the quieter fan.
For the inevitable G9 release, we predict that HP will move the series into a new 16:10 form factor which is quickly becoming the latest trend on business laptops. The system is otherwise impressive on nearly all fronts.
Price and availability
HP EliteBook 840 Aero G8 3E4Q6AA
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08/03/2021 v7
Allen Ngo
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