HP EliteBoard G1a AI review: A PC hidden in plain sight

The two worst aspects of the EliteBoard are its limited port options and cramped arrow keys. For a design that's thicker and wider than many laptops, it's puzzling to see the EliteBoard have fewer ports or smaller arrow keys than popular models like the Yoga Pro 9 16 or LG Gram. Once USB-C adapters and HDMI are involved, the minimalist setup disappears. Traditional mini PCs like the MSI Cubi NUC or GMK NucBox have an edge in this regard with their native support for older HDMI monitors that are still common in the vast majority of businesses. In other words, we wouldn't mind a slightly larger EliteBoard design if it meant larger keys, more auxiliary features, and additional integrated ports.

True to the Elite series tradition, the EliteBoard is easy to service with two accessible DDR5 SODIMM slots, removable M.2 WLAN module, and a single M.2 2280 SSD slot.

The system is manufactured with recycled plastics and copper of up to 75 percent and 45 percent, respectively. Meanwhile, the packaging is plastic-free and fully recyclable.

While individual key caps are replaceable, the deck or membrane layer underneath was not designed to be easily replaceable.

The retail box includes a 65 W USB-C GaN AC adapter, USB-C cable, and an HP 675M Bluetooth mouse with batteries. A soft-touch travel sleeve comes standard only if configured with a battery pack.

Note that the AC adapter is not needed for users with existing monitors supporting USB-C video and Power Delivery.

Optional extras include docking stations and adapters for older external monitors that utilize HDMI for video instead of USB-C.

The 2 mm key travel is deeper than on most laptop keyboards for a typing experience that's closer to a typical desktop keyboard. While we like the firm feedback, full-size numpad, and especially quiet key clatter, the arrow keys are smaller than the arrow keys on many laptops. HP says this was done on purpose to adhere to tight design specifications.

Additionally, the keyboard is "chained" to the EliteBoard PC meaning it cannot be used to control any other computer unlike your basic desktop keyboard.

We set Windows to Performance mode prior to running the benchmarks below.

The Ryzen AI 5 PRO 340 performs similarly to the Lunar Lake Core Ultra 7 256V in terms of raw performance. While not particularly fast, it is a marked improvement over older U-series CPUs like the Ryzen 5 7530U or Core i7-1335U.

Upgrading to the Ryzen AI 7 PRO 350 is expected to improve multi-thread performance by around 50 percent based on our time with the Asus ExpertCenter due to the higher number of physical cores.