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HP EliteBook 1050 G1 (i7-8750H, 4K, GTX 1050 Max-Q) Laptop Review

Premium Business-Multimedia Combination. Dell's XPS 15 receives a lot of attention that other manufacturers would like to get as well. Of course HP would also like to compete with Dell's premium laptop. So HP has introduced a device that aims to impress with a unibody case, business features, and powerful components into the market. Find out in our extensive review, whether the new EliteBook 1050 G1 succeeds in this.

After the Lenovo ThinkPads and next to the Dell Latitudes, HP EliteBooks also belong to the most known and sold brands in the business laptop market segment. However, things are changing in this market as well, even if this happens slower than in other segments. In the last decade, the greatest challenger to the "big three" in the business laptop market has probably been Apple, a manufacturer that was able to increase its reputation enormously with products such as the iPhone. Similarly, MacBooks have also become more and more popular with companies, even if they have not been targeted explicitly for that market. Although Apple has not taken over this market completely, for the established manufacturers Apple's successes represented a warning significant enough to change course. If ten years ago, business notebooks were extremely sturdy but also heavy and large laptops, they are currently significantly slimmer, more compact, and lighter. Similarly, other trends such as unibody metal cases and better LCD displays also have taken hold with the notebooks that had been primarily utilitarian earlier.

Increasingly the boundaries between business and consumer laptops that had been clear earlier are becoming more fluent. Examples for this are not only the Apple MacBook Pro laptops, but also the Microsoft Surface Book laptops and the Dell XPS notebooks, which are part of the "Prosumer" category that are also supposed to attract company buyers. The Dell XPS 15 9570 and the Apple MacBook Pro 15 in particular are bestsellers – 15.6-inch laptops with slim cases, powerful components, and high prices. Now HP starts the counter attack with the EliteBook 1050 G1. This is the first generation of a new premium laptop series with a 15.6-inch display, which is signified by the "G1" in the model name.

Our test unit is equipped with an Intel Core i7-8750H, an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q, a 4K UHD display, 32 GB of RAM, and two 2-TB SSDs. We are testing the fully equipped HP EliteBook 1050 G1 that costs about 4500 Euros (~$5246; $4168 in the US). At this high price and with these powerful components, it is predestined to be a competitor for the Dell XPS 15 9570 and the Apple MacBook Pro 15. The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme that has just been introduced, also falls within this category, but we have not been able to test this model yet. As an alternative, we compare the EliteBook 1050 G1 with the Lenovo ThinkPad T580, even if this is rather a classical business notebook. In addition, the HP ZBook Studio G4 as the quasi-predecessor also serves as a reference comparison.

HP EliteBook 1050 G1-4QY20EA (EliteBook 1050 G1 Series)
Processor
Intel Core i7-8750H 6 x 2.2 - 4.1 GHz, Coffee Lake-H
Graphics adapter
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q - 4 GB VRAM, Core: 1139 MHz, Memory: 1752 MHz, GDDR5, 391.48, Optimus
Memory
32 GB 
, DDR4-2666, 2 of 2 slots occupied, max. 64 GB
Display
15.60 inch 16:9, 3840 x 2160 pixel 282 PPI, AUO30EB, IPS LED, glossy: no
Mainboard
Intel CM246
Storage
Toshiba XG5-P KXG50PNV2T04, 2048 GB 
, Two 2280 M.2 SSDs (second SSD is also a KXG50PNV2T04), 3610 GB free
Soundcard
Intel Cannon Lake-H/S - cAVS (Audio, Voice, Speech)
Connections
2 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 2 USB 3.1 Gen2, 2 Thunderbolt, 1 HDMI, 2 DisplayPort, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: Audio combo port, Card Reader: 3-in-1 card reader, 1 Fingerprint Reader, NFC, Brightness Sensor
Networking
Intel Wireless-AC 9560 (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 5.0
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 18.9 x 360 x 254 ( = 0.74 x 14.17 x 10 in)
Battery
96 Wh Lithium-Ion
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Pro 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: 720p infrared camera
Additional features
Speakers: Stereo, Keyboard: 6 row chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, Recovery Disk, HP Thunderbolt 3 Dock 230 W G2, HP Client Security Manager, HP Device Access Manager, HP Connection Optimizer, HP Client Security Manager, HP Jumpstart, HP Power Manager, HP Support Assistant, HP Workwise, Microsoft Office Trial, 36 Months Warranty
Weight
2.06 kg ( = 72.66 oz / 4.54 pounds), Power Supply: 319 g ( = 11.25 oz / 0.7 pounds)
Price
3799 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

HP EliteBook 1050 G1
HP EliteBook 1050 G1

While the case of the EliteBook 1050 G1 is completely new, it shares its basic design with the HP ZBook Studio G5, with the case of the ZBook having a darker color and the HP EliteBook 1050 G1 being kept in the classic EliteBook silver. Visually, the design differs considerably from the more affordable EliteBooks such as the HP EliteBook 850 G5 or also the older HP ZBook Studio G4. The case is less rounded and shows more edges. The cut-off corners in the back near the hinges stand out in particular. Another design characteristic is the speaker grid with a triangular pattern above the keyboard. Although HP is rather less creative in the color choice (silver case, black keyboard, and black display frame), it still uses a unique, memorable design language in the HP EliteBook 1050 G1, which looks considerably more modern compared to the ZBook Studio G4 with its rounded corners.

Naturally, a successful case needs more than the visual design. The quality of the HP Laptop EliteBook 1050 G1 case also does not disappoint, but rather the opposite: The case is manufactured entirely from aluminum with a unibody build and a beveled edge around the display lid. Not only is the case extremely sturdy, but its workmanship also shows a high quality. HP does not show any weaknesses here, and in terms of its quality, the HP EliteBook 1050 G1 does not need to hide even from the Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018.

While the two drop-down hinges with a metal cap offer only a limited opening angle of 130°, at least the display can be opened with one hand and is held tightly in place.

In terms of size, the Dell XPS 15 9570 sets the standard the HP EliteBook 1050 G1 has to measure up to. Even though HP has significantly reduced the display bezels on the sides, the Dell XPS 15 still remains considerably more compact, and the display bezels above and below the panel in particular are quite large in the EliteBook 1050.

In terms of the weight, the HP also comes in slightly behind the competitors. The Elitebook is about 100 g (~3.5 oz) heavier than the Dell XPS 15 and almost 300 g (~10.6 oz) heavier than the Apple MacBook Pro 15. The same goes for Lenovo's coming ThinkPad X1 Extreme, which will also be noticeably lighter at 1.8 kg (~4 lb).

Size Comparison

375 mm / 14.8 inch 255 mm / 10 inch 18 mm / 0.709 inch 2.1 kg4.54 lbs370 mm / 14.6 inch 252 mm / 9.92 inch 18.3 mm / 0.72 inch 1.8 kg3.92 lbs365.8 mm / 14.4 inch 252.8 mm / 9.95 inch 20.2 mm / 0.795 inch 2.1 kg4.68 lbs360 mm / 14.2 inch 254 mm / 10 inch 18.9 mm / 0.744 inch 2.1 kg4.54 lbs357 mm / 14.1 inch 235 mm / 9.25 inch 17 mm / 0.669 inch 2 kg4.44 lbs349.3 mm / 13.8 inch 240.7 mm / 9.48 inch 15.5 mm / 0.61 inch 1.8 kg4.03 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connections

The connection equipment is very similar to that of the Dell XPS 15 9570, with the EliteBook 1050 G1 offering two Thunderbolt-3 connections while the current Dell XPS 15 only offers a single connection of this type. Compared to the more affordable HP EliteBook 850 G5, the HP EliteBook 1050 G1 also has one more USB-C/Thunderbolt-3 connection and also offers an SD card reader. On the other hand it does not have the proprietary HP side-docking connection and no RJ45 Ethernet connection. These other connections are more suitable for the design of the EliteBook 1050 G1, since unlike the EliteBook 850 G5, this targets more the creative segment rather than large company customers.

While the connection equipment itself is very similar to that of the XPS, there are significant differences in the positioning of the connectors. This is due to the positions of the fans and their vents: Dell has placed these hidden on the back behind the hinge of the XPS 15, while HP on the other hand has placed the fan vents on the sides. This leaves less space for the connections, which due to the hinge design could not be moved to the back either. This causes the connections on both sides to be placed quite far in the back, with the exception of the SD card slot and the audio jack. So far so good: connections should be as far in the back as possible so as to not interfere with the use of an external mouse. However, here the use of the USB-A ports can become problematic, since both of them are squeezed tightly next to each other in the left corner of the case. This can quickly result in some blockage if the USB cable or device used is slightly wider. You can only avoid this by moving to the right side, if you use a USB-C-to-USB-A adapter.

Although the connections will not bring any problems for mouse users, the hot air stream from the fans might become uncomfortable. Whether you are right or left handed, the fan air will hit the mouse hand in any case.

Right: SD card reader, audio-combo port, HDMI, 2x USB-C / Thunderbolt 3, power
Right: SD card reader, audio-combo port, HDMI, 2x USB-C / Thunderbolt 3, power
Left: 2x USB 3.0 Type-A, Kensington Lock slot
Left: 2x USB 3.0 Type-A, Kensington Lock slot

SD Card Reader

SD card readers are a feature that pleases photographers in particular and are available less and less in the current notebooks. Many notebooks only offer a microSD card reader or do not have a card reader at all – such as the Apple MacBook Pro 15 or the HP EliteBook 850 G5, for example. Fortunately, the EliteBook 1050 G1 still has a full-sized SD card reader. However, since you cannot fully insert the card into the reader and it sticks out from the laptop, the card reader is not really suitable for continuous storage expansion.

At least HP uses a very fast card reader that ran as fast as that of the Dell XPS 15 in our benchmarks with the Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II reference storage card.

SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
HP ZBook Studio G4-Y6K17EA
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
185 MB/s +22%
Dell XPS 15 9570 i7 UHD
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
174 MB/s +14%
HP EliteBook 1050 G1-4QY20EA
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
152.1 MB/s
Average of class Multimedia
  (17.6 - 205, n=61, last 2 years)
93 MB/s -39%
Lenovo ThinkPad T580-20LAS01H00
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
77.8 MB/s -49%
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
HP ZBook Studio G4-Y6K17EA
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
210.7 MB/s 0%
HP EliteBook 1050 G1-4QY20EA
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
210 MB/s
Dell XPS 15 9570 i7 UHD
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
192 MB/s -9%
Average of class Multimedia
  (16.8 - 266, n=57, last 2 years)
122.4 MB/s -42%
Lenovo ThinkPad T580-20LAS01H00
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
85.4 MB/s -59%

Communication

HP uses the most current Intel wireless solution, the Intel 9560 AC 2x2-WiFi card. While this produced the usual good performance when sending, it remained slightly behind other Wi-Fi modules when receiving – we assume that this is due to a driver problem. During everyday operation, the Wi-Fi always remained stable and inconspicuous. In addition to Wi-Fi, our test unit also offers NFC and Bluetooth 5.0. However, a wired Internet connection (RJ45-Ethernet) or WWAN (for example in form of an LTE card) are not included. If you need those features, you should perhaps take a look at the HP EliteBook 850 G5

The 720p webcam and the microphone that HP has placed into the display frame directly next to the camera produce a typical performance for a laptop: just barely sufficient for making video calls but far too bad for anything else. At least, the webcam is not placed below the display as in the Dell XPS 15.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Average of class Multimedia
  (285 - 1094, n=5, last 2 years)
789 MBit/s +22%
HP EliteBook 1050 G1-4QY20EA
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
649 MBit/s
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.6 GHz, 560X)
Broadcom 802.11ac
602 (543min - 628max) MBit/s -7%
Dell XPS 15 9570 i7 UHD
Killer Wireless-n/a/ac 1535 Wireless Network Adapter
575 MBit/s -11%
HP ZBook Studio G4-Y6K17EA
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
480 MBit/s -26%
Lenovo ThinkPad T580-20LAS01H00
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
162 MBit/s -75%
iperf3 receive AX12
Average of class Multimedia
  (625 - 1675, n=5, last 2 years)
1127 MBit/s +211%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.6 GHz, 560X)
Broadcom 802.11ac
817 (664min - 835max) MBit/s +126%
Lenovo ThinkPad T580-20LAS01H00
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
638 MBit/s +76%
HP ZBook Studio G4-Y6K17EA
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
632 MBit/s +75%
Dell XPS 15 9570 i7 UHD
Killer Wireless-n/a/ac 1535 Wireless Network Adapter
525 MBit/s +45%
HP EliteBook 1050 G1-4QY20EA
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
362 MBit/s

Security

Security features play a big role in business devices. Although the HP EliteBook 1050 G1 is officially a business laptop, its security equipment is not quite complete since it does not have a smart card reader. That card slot is reserved for the HP EliteBook 850 G5. However, this does not mean that the EliteBook 1050 has no security functions: There is a touch fingerprint reader in the palm rest and the webcam has infrared sensors, so you have the choice to either use your finger or your face for fast and secure login via "Windows Hello."

Touch fingerprint reader
Touch fingerprint reader
Infrared webcam with cover
Infrared webcam with cover

Accessories

Usually not many notebooks include any accessories in the package. Here however, in addition to the power supply and a recovery DVD, there is also a dock included with our current test unit, or to be exact, the HP Thunderbolt Dock G2 with combo cable. The small cube-shaped dock offers many connections and becomes relevant because it is the only way to connect the EliteBook 1050 G1 with a single cable while still getting the full performance capabilities. Even though the EliteBook 1050 G1 can also be charged via USB-C, the USB-C chargers do not offer sufficient power. At a maximum of 100 watts, they do not provide enough power for the powerful HP laptop. HP's Thunderbolt Dock G2 solves the problem with a combo plug that combines Thunderbolt 3 with the proprietary charger plug.

The HP Thunderbolt Dock G2 currently costs about 250 Euros (~$291; $289 in the US) if you order it directly from HP.

Thunderbolt Dock G2: front
Thunderbolt Dock G2: front
Back with numerous connections
Back with numerous connections
Right side with USB-A, audio, and Kensington Lock
Right side with USB-A, audio, and Kensington Lock
Combo connection: Thunderbolt and proprietary power connection in a single plug
Combo connection: Thunderbolt and proprietary power connection in a single plug
HP EliteBook 1050 G1 next to the HP Thunderbolt Dock G2 with combo cable
HP EliteBook 1050 G1 next to the HP Thunderbolt Dock G2 with combo cable
 

Maintenance

In terms of the maintenance, HP does not make it easy for users of the EliteBook 1050 G1. To reach the components, you have to remove the entire bottom plate of the case, which is nothing unusual, though. However, HP does not use standard Philips screws, but Torx-TX9 screws instead. While these screws promise a better durability than Philips screws, they are not as widely used, which then also goes for the corresponding tool. If you have the Torx screw driver in the right size, after removing the nine screws you also have to loosen several clips if you really want to remove the cover. This requires some patience, not too much force (since otherwise you might damage the case), and also a suitable plastic prying tool. So for inexperienced users, opening the case might pose quite a challenge. On the other hand, HP's "EliteBook 1050 G1 Maintenance and Service Guide" can be very helpful for this task.

A look inside
A look inside

Once you have managed to overcome those obstacles, you get access to the most important components. These include the internal battery, the cooling system, the two M.2-2280 slots, and two SO-DIMM RAM slots (that are covered by a removable piece of black plastic), offering the EliteBook 1050 G1 some relatively easy upgrade and maintenance options. Replacing the keyboard would probably be harder, since you would need to remove the motherboard for this first. In this respect, the more affordable business models such as the HP EliteBook 850 G5 are more accessible.

Warranty

The HP EliteBook 1050 G1 offers an extensive warranty package valid for three years including next-business-day onsite service, as you would expect for a top-of-the-range business laptop. Other manufacturers such as Apple are more stingy in this regard, asking for an additional fee for such a warranty duration. Please see our Guarantees, Return policies and Warranties FAQ for country-specific information.

Input Devices

Keyboard

The HP EliteBook 1050 G1 has a keyboard with six key rows in the chiclet design and a two-step keyboard illumination. There is no number pad - an important mark of distinction compared to other 15-inch laptops such as the HP EliteBook 850 G5 or the HP ZBook 15 G5.

The number pad is one of those features that you either love or hate. While it is very useful inputting numbers, the rest of the keys have to be moved to the left to make room for it, which represents an ergonomic nightmare for some users. From our point of view, it is therefore quite justified for HP to offer a model without a number pad, since the manufacturer offers many other laptops with the number pad in its lineup. This lack is also typical in this price range, and the direct competitors such as the Dell XPS 15 9570, the Apple MacBook Pro 15 or the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme also lack the number pad.

 

Keyboard area of the HP EliteBook 1050 G1
Keyboard area of the HP EliteBook 1050 G1

Even though the keyboard of the EliteBook 1050 G1 has the standard width overall, some keys are still slightly smaller, since HP has placed the navigation keys to the right next to the Enter key. Some aspects of the keyboard layout are a little strange, since the keyboard has two Delete keys in the top right corner, one of which is labeled in German and the other in English. Aside from these curiosities, this is a good keyboard that is suitable for prolific typing. The flat chiclet keys have a sufficient stroke and a crisp pressure point. The base of the keys is very stable, which also contributes to the comfortable typing experience. Perhaps the EliteBook does not offer the best keyboard, but it is still one of the better laptop keyboards.

Touchpad

HP has placed the touchpad below the keyboard. The touch surface measures 11.5 x 7.6 cm (~4.5 x 3 in) and is made of glass, which ensures good sliding characteristics, allowing the touchpad to be operated comfortably. HP does not use dedicated keys but the touchpad has an integrated click-function instead – so this is a so-called ClickPad. We have no complaints about the integrated keys, and the click mechanics work flawlessly, producing crisp clicks at a suitable volume level. Overall, the touchpad enables comfortable operation of the laptop, and thanks to the Microsoft-Precision driver, its software implementation is also very good.

You should take note that the touchpad is not positioned at the center of the keyboard, but at the center of the case instead – in relation to the touchpad, the keyboard is moved slightly to the left. It is a bit unfortunate that HP did not build-in a PointStick, as it did in other EliteBooks. This feature would be quite welcome in an expensive business device, especially since Lenovo's ThinkPad X1 Extreme has a TrackPoint.

The glass touchpad of the HP EliteBook 1050 G1
The glass touchpad of the HP EliteBook 1050 G1

Display

Pixel grid of the HP EliteBook 1050 G1
Pixel grid of the HP EliteBook 1050 G1
Hardly any backlight bleeding (shown amplified here)
Hardly any backlight bleeding (shown amplified here)
Weakly visible shadings
Weakly visible shadings

There are three different display options for our current test unit. The basic option is a Full-HD display (1920x1080 pixels) that is supposed to achieve 400 cd/m² according to HP. There is also a Full-HD display available with HP's SureView privacy filter technology (tested here). According to the specification sheet this even offers a maximum brightness of 650 cd/m². Finally the trio of available LCD panels is completed by a 4K UHD display (3840x2160). All three displays have a matte, non-reflective surface and are based on IPS technology.

Our test unit has the 4K UHD display, and the first thing we should note is that apart from the HP EliteBook 1050 G1, none of the direct competitors offer a completely matte 4K UHD LCD. In the Dell XPS 15 and the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme, only the Full-HD options have a non-reflective display, while the 4K displays are struggling with reflections due to their glass surface. Since its conversion to high-resolution displays a few years ago, the Apple MacBook Pro 15 is generally only offered with a glossy screen. The ThinkPad T580 and EliteBook 850 G5 on the other hand offer matte 4K UHD displays, but are not playing in the same league in terms of their quality and performance. This can definitely be taken as a positive point for the EliteBook in our evaluation.

However, HP has denied the EliteBook 1050 G1 the DreamColor display, which thus remains reserved solely to the almost identically equipped HP ZBook Studio G5. The display that is built-in here is supposed to produce 400 cd/m² of brightness according to HP, and with an average value of 389 cd/m², it almost reaches this. In contrast, the DreamColor 4K display of the ZBook is supposed to reach 600 cd/m² according to HP. It is unfortunate that HP does not integrate the best possible display that is built-into an identically equipped sibling model, into a device that costs more than 4000 Euros (~$4663). In this respect, Lenovo and Dell do not distinguish between the standard models and their similarly equipped workstation offshoots.

While almost 400 cd/m² is of course still a decent result overall, compared to its competitors, the EliteBook 1050 cannot really impress with that. The displays of the Apple MacBook Pro 15 and the Dell XPS 15 are brighter. At least, the display is about 60 cd/m² brighter compared to the 4K panel of the ZBook Studio G4, so there is progress in this respect. The UHD display of the Lenovo ThinkPad T580 is also darker. While the brightness itself is good, the brightness distribution of 83% is not so good. The panel is significantly brighter in the center than at the edges. This uneven brightness is almost noticeable with  the naked eye in a completely white display. The quality control of HP should have been a bit more stringent here.

380
cd/m²
414
cd/m²
373
cd/m²
368
cd/m²
440
cd/m²
363
cd/m²
383
cd/m²
420
cd/m²
364
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
AUO30EB tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 440 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 389.4 cd/m² Minimum: 37 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 83 %
Center on Battery: 440 cd/m²
Contrast: 1294:1 (Black: 0.34 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 5.04 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5, calibrated: 2.04
ΔE Greyscale 4.98 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
94% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
61% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
67.9% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
94.1% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
67.8% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.48
HP EliteBook 1050 G1-4QY20EA
AUO30EB, , 3840x2160, 15.60
Dell XPS 15 9570 i7 UHD
LQ156D1, , 3840x2160, 15.60
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.6 GHz, 560X)
APPA040, , 2880x1800, 15.40
Lenovo ThinkPad T580-20LAS01H00
NV156QUM-N44, , 3840x2160, 15.60
HP ZBook Studio G4-Y6K17EA
SHP1445, , 3840x2160, 15.60
HP EliteBook 850 G5 3JX58EA
AUO24ED, , 1920x1080, 15.60
Lenovo ThinkPad P51 20HH0016GE
LEN40BD, B156ZAN02.1, , 3840x2160, 15.60
Display
13%
27%
-1%
24%
-6%
26%
Display P3 Coverage
67.8
79.1
17%
98.7
46%
69.2
2%
82.6
22%
63.4
-6%
86.3
27%
sRGB Coverage
94.1
98.8
5%
99.9
6%
90.7
-4%
98.9
5%
88.8
-6%
99.5
6%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
67.9
79.2
17%
86.6
28%
66.3
-2%
98
44%
64.4
-5%
99.3
46%
Response Times
4%
8%
4%
9%
20%
20%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
56 ?(26, 30)
46.4 ?(22.8, 23.6)
17%
43.2 ?(20.4, 22.8)
23%
51.2 ?(24.4, 26.8)
9%
44.8 ?(22, 22.8)
20%
42 ?(20, 22)
25%
40.8 ?(20.8, 20)
27%
Response Time Black / White *
29 ?(14, 15)
32 ?(18, 14)
-10%
31.2 ?(16.4, 14.8)
-8%
29.6 ?(17.2, 12.4)
-2%
30 ?(17.2, 12.8)
-3%
25 ?(14, 11)
14%
25.2 ?(14, 11.2)
13%
PWM Frequency
980 ?(25)
117000 ?(75, 150)
952 ?(99)
1497 ?(50)
Screen
-4%
32%
4%
15%
-20%
10%
Brightness middle
440
494
12%
520
18%
310
-30%
324
-26%
402
-9%
317
-28%
Brightness
389
457
17%
492
26%
283
-27%
338
-13%
383
-2%
309
-21%
Brightness Distribution
83
88
6%
88
6%
87
5%
78
-6%
88
6%
89
7%
Black Level *
0.34
0.34
-0%
0.39
-15%
0.24
29%
0.3
12%
0.41
-21%
0.36
-6%
Contrast
1294
1453
12%
1333
3%
1292
0%
1080
-17%
980
-24%
881
-32%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
5.04
5.2
-3%
1.2
76%
3.1
38%
1.6
68%
5.25
-4%
2.7
46%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
6.99
17.5
-150%
2.3
67%
7.6
-9%
4.6
34%
8.65
-24%
4.1
41%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
2.04
2.2
-8%
5.19
-154%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
4.98
2.7
46%
1.3
74%
2.3
54%
2.5
50%
4
20%
3
40%
Gamma
2.48 89%
2.1 105%
2.18 101%
2.21 100%
2.21 100%
2.68 82%
2.27 97%
CCT
7777 84%
7038 92%
6738 96%
6876 95%
6273 104%
6756 96%
6077 107%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
61
71.2
17%
59.1
-3%
85.7
40%
58
-5%
87.6
44%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
94
98.8
5%
90.1
-4%
98.9
5%
89
-5%
99.5
6%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
4% / 1%
22% / 27%
2% / 3%
16% / 16%
-2% / -13%
19% / 14%

* ... smaller is better

Color values
Color values
Saturation
Saturation
Grayscales
Grayscales
Color values (calibrated)
Color values (calibrated)
Saturation (calibrated)
Saturation (calibrated)
Grayscales (calibrated)
Grayscales (calibrated)

There is a visible blue tint in the state of delivery. However, this can be removed easily with a calibration, and as usual we are making the necessary color profile available to you. Aside from some slight shadings, there is nothing to complain in the subjective performance of the display. At 1294:1, the contrast ratio is suitably large, the image is sharp, and there is hardly any back light bleeding. The display does not produce any PWM.

When looking at the color space coverage, we have to regret again that HP has not used the DreamColor display that is supposed to reproduce 100%  of the expanded AdobeRGB color space. In contrast, the 4K LCD used here is supposed to reproduce 100% of the sRGB color space according to HP. However, according to our measurements it is 94%, since the coverage is not ideal for sRGB in some areas. With 94% of the sRGB color space, the panel should be just barely sufficient for semi-professional image processing.

sRGB: 94%
sRGB: 94%
AdobeRGB: 61%
AdobeRGB: 61%
Outdoors (cloudy)
Outdoors (cloudy)

Outdoors, the EliteBook 1050 G1 is able to convince to a large extent, since the matte display surface combined with the high brightness of almost 400 cd/m² result in a good outdoor suitability. While it is still able to stand up to indirect sunlight relatively well, it would need to offer a higher brightness to be usable in direct sunlight.

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
29 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 14 ms rise
↘ 15 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. » 73 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
56 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 26 ms rise
↘ 30 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. » 91 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
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 18110 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

As typical for IPS displays, the viewing angle stability is very good. Also, the IPS glow effect that occurs in some IPS displays does not appear in this panel.

Viewing angle stability of the HP EliteBook 1050 G1
Viewing angle stability of the HP EliteBook 1050 G1

Performance

Various vendors in Germany currently list four configurations of the HP EliteBook 1050 G1, with prices ranging from about 2300 to 4500 Euros (~$2681-4663). There are altogether three processors available: the Intel Core i5-8300H, the Core i5-8400H, and the Core i7-8750H. Only the most affordable configuration does without the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q GPU, and in this Core i5-8400H model the Intel UHD Graphics 630 handles the graphics computations. Except for the most expensive model with the 4K display that we are testing, all the configurations of the HP EliteBook 1050 G1 have the Full-HD display with SureView. HP does not save on the storage solution in the expensive models, and the EliteBook contains 256 GB, 1 TB, 2 TB, or 4 TB of SSD storage. The working memory is between 8 and 32 GB, and there are two slots for a maximum of 64 GB DDR4-2666 storage. Our test unit contains two 16-GB modules, so both slots are occupied.

HWiNFO
HWiNFO
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z Caches
CPU-Z Caches
CPU-Z Mainboard
CPU-Z Mainboard
CPU-Z Memory
CPU-Z Memory
CPU-Z SPD
CPU-Z SPD
GPU-Z Intel UHD 630
GPU-Z Intel UHD 630
LatencyMon
LatencyMon

Processor

The Intel Core i7-8750H is a hexa-core processor of the newest Intel-CPU generation with the "Coffee Lake" label. The six CPU cores run at a clock speed from 2.2 GHz (basic clock speed) to 4.1 GHz (Turbo), with the standard TDP of the processor at 45 watts. With this, the Core i7-8750H belongs to the class of the most powerful mobile processors. Our CPU benchmark list allows you to compare it with other processors.

The actual performance of the newest Intel processors mainly depends on how much leeway the manufacturer gives to the processor. Here HP takes a rather conservative course with the EliteBook 1050 G1, limiting its power to a maximum of 60 watts and a standard usage of 45 watts. This also explains the initial results in the Cinebench-R15 multicore loop. While the CPU is still able to use 60 watts consistently in the first test run, this is not possible anymore in further iterations. In the additional runs of the 30-minute loop, there are several minor performance drops that can be explained with HP's careful handling of the temperature, since during the entire test the temperatures never reach more than 85 °C (185 °F) and remain below the 80-°C mark (176 °F) most of the time.

065130195260325390455520585650715780845910975104011051170Tooltip
HP EliteBook 1050 G1-4QY20EA Intel Core i7-8750H, Intel Core i7-8750H: Ø1015 (972-1114)
Lenovo ThinkPad P52 20MAS03N00 Intel Core i7-8750H, Intel Core i7-8750H: Ø1034 (1019-1128)
Dell XPS 15 9570 i7 UHD Intel Core i7-8750H, Intel Core i7-8750H; Undervolting: Ø1168 (1123.47-1219.85)
Dell XPS 15 9570 i7 UHD Intel Core i7-8750H, Intel Core i7-8750H: Ø1012 (980.27-1215.12)

The CPU performance is impressive overall, coming in at about the same level as the Dell XPS 15 9570 (without under-volting) and slightly below the significantly thicker Lenovo ThinkPad P52. However, both of those laptops do better in the short-term boost performance, and HP could have given a bit more leeway to the EliteBook here. The older HP ZBook Studio G4 notebook is about 30% slower in the CPU performance.

By default, the CPU performance is limited in battery operation. In the Cinebench multicore test, the EliteBook 1050 G1 only achieves 944 points in battery operation. 

Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Multimedia
  (142.6 - 308, n=96, last 2 years)
249 Points +41%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.6 GHz, 560X)
Intel Core i7-8850H
177 Points 0%
HP EliteBook 1050 G1-4QY20EA
Intel Core i7-8750H
177 Points
Dell XPS 15 9570 i7 UHD
Intel Core i7-8750H
175 Points -1%
Lenovo ThinkPad P52 20MAS03N00
Intel Core i7-8750H
175 Points -1%
Average Intel Core i7-8750H
  (163 - 177, n=86)
172 Points -3%
HP ZBook Studio G4-Y6K17EA
Intel Xeon E3-1505M v6
170 Points -4%
Lenovo ThinkPad T580-20LAS01H00
Intel Core i7-8550U
163 Points -8%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Average of class Multimedia
  (580 - 4703, n=103, last 2 years)
2280 Points +102%
Dell XPS 15 9570 i7 UHD
Intel Core i7-8750H
1251 Points +11%
Dell XPS 15 9570 i7 UHD
Intel Core i7-8750H
1215 Points +7%
Lenovo ThinkPad P52 20MAS03N00
Intel Core i7-8750H
1217 Points +8%
HP EliteBook 1050 G1-4QY20EA
Intel Core i7-8750H
1131 Points
Average Intel Core i7-8750H
  (863 - 1251, n=93)
1113 Points -2%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.6 GHz, 560X)
Intel Core i7-8850H
1064 Points -6%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.6 GHz, 560X)
Intel Core i7-8850H
1057 Points -7%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.6 GHz, 560X)
Intel Core i7-8850H
971 Points -14%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.6 GHz, 560X)
Intel Core i7-8850H
953 Points -16%
HP ZBook Studio G4-Y6K17EA
Intel Xeon E3-1505M v6
737 Points -35%
Lenovo ThinkPad T580-20LAS01H00
Intel Core i7-8550U
660 Points -42%
Cinebench R10 Shading 32Bit
6811
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
33110
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit
6643
Cinebench R10 Shading 64Bit
6829 Points
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 64Bit
41831 Points
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single CPUs 64Bit
8665 Points
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Single 64Bit
1.99 Points
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 64Bit
12.35 Points
Cinebench R11.5 OpenGL 64Bit
74.3 fps
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Single 32Bit
1.77 Points
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 32Bit
11.42 Points
Cinebench R11.5 OpenGL 32Bit
73.9 fps
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
109.3 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
99.6 %
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
1131 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
177 Points
Help

System Performance

We have nothing to complain in terms of system performance. Despite its 4K display, the system always runs completely smooth, which is not surprising considering its powerful components. The performance is also flawless in the PC-Mark benchmarks.

PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Average of class Multimedia
  (4484 - 5525, n=9, last 2 years)
5075 Points +48%
HP ZBook Studio G4-Y6K17EA
Quadro M1200, E3-1505M v6, Samsung SM961 MZVKW512HMJP m.2 PCI-e
4093 Points +19%
Lenovo ThinkPad P52 20MAS03N00
Quadro P1000, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
3959 Points +15%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.6 GHz, 560X)
Radeon Pro 560X, i7-8850H, Apple SSD AP0512
3735 Points +9%
HP EliteBook 850 G5 3JX58EA
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV256G
3669 Points +7%
Dell XPS 15 9570 i7 UHD
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, i7-8750H, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
3631 Points +6%
HP EliteBook 1050 G1-4QY20EA
GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Toshiba XG5-P KXG50PNV2T04
3433 Points
Average Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q
 
3433 Points 0%
Lenovo ThinkPad T580-20LAS01H00
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
3145 Points -8%
Work Score Accelerated v2
Lenovo ThinkPad P52 20MAS03N00
Quadro P1000, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
5329 Points +15%
Average of class Multimedia
  (3115 - 6078, n=9, last 2 years)
5278 Points +14%
HP EliteBook 1050 G1-4QY20EA
GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Toshiba XG5-P KXG50PNV2T04
4643 Points
Average Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q
 
4643 Points 0%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.6 GHz, 560X)
Radeon Pro 560X, i7-8850H, Apple SSD AP0512
4575 Points -1%
Dell XPS 15 9570 i7 UHD
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, i7-8750H, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
4418 Points -5%
HP ZBook Studio G4-Y6K17EA
Quadro M1200, E3-1505M v6, Samsung SM961 MZVKW512HMJP m.2 PCI-e
4408 Points -5%
Lenovo ThinkPad T580-20LAS01H00
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
4063 Points -12%
PCMark 10
Digital Content Creation
Average of class Multimedia
  (3861 - 13548, n=82, last 2 years)
8566 Points +74%
Dell XPS 15 9570 i7 UHD
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, i7-8750H, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
5605 Points +14%
HP EliteBook 1050 G1-4QY20EA
GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Toshiba XG5-P KXG50PNV2T04
4920 Points
Average Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q
 
4920 Points 0%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.6 GHz, 560X)
Radeon Pro 560X, i7-8850H, Apple SSD AP0512
4473 Points -9%
Lenovo ThinkPad P52 20MAS03N00
Quadro P1000, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
4348 Points -12%
HP ZBook Studio G4-Y6K17EA
Quadro M1200, E3-1505M v6, Samsung SM961 MZVKW512HMJP m.2 PCI-e
3926 Points -20%
Lenovo ThinkPad T580-20LAS01H00
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
3116 Points -37%
HP EliteBook 850 G5 3JX58EA
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV256G
2807 Points -43%
Productivity
Average of class Multimedia
  (5462 - 11186, n=82, last 2 years)
8685 Points +28%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.6 GHz, 560X)
Radeon Pro 560X, i7-8850H, Apple SSD AP0512
7569 Points +12%
Dell XPS 15 9570 i7 UHD
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, i7-8750H, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
7037 Points +4%
HP EliteBook 1050 G1-4QY20EA
GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Toshiba XG5-P KXG50PNV2T04
6770 Points
Average Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q
 
6770 Points 0%
Lenovo ThinkPad P52 20MAS03N00
Quadro P1000, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
6649 Points -2%
HP ZBook Studio G4-Y6K17EA
Quadro M1200, E3-1505M v6, Samsung SM961 MZVKW512HMJP m.2 PCI-e
6561 Points -3%
HP EliteBook 850 G5 3JX58EA
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV256G
5795 Points -14%
Lenovo ThinkPad T580-20LAS01H00
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
5079 Points -25%
Essentials
Average of class Multimedia
  (8480 - 12420, n=82, last 2 years)
10417 Points +26%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.6 GHz, 560X)
Radeon Pro 560X, i7-8850H, Apple SSD AP0512
8894 Points +7%
HP ZBook Studio G4-Y6K17EA
Quadro M1200, E3-1505M v6, Samsung SM961 MZVKW512HMJP m.2 PCI-e
8514 Points +3%
Dell XPS 15 9570 i7 UHD
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, i7-8750H, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
8429 Points +2%
Lenovo ThinkPad P52 20MAS03N00
Quadro P1000, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
8298 Points 0%
HP EliteBook 1050 G1-4QY20EA
GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Toshiba XG5-P KXG50PNV2T04
8281 Points
Average Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q
 
8281 Points 0%
HP EliteBook 850 G5 3JX58EA
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV256G
7262 Points -12%
Lenovo ThinkPad T580-20LAS01H00
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
6891 Points -17%
Score
Average of class Multimedia
  (4039 - 8670, n=82, last 2 years)
6552 Points +40%
Dell XPS 15 9570 i7 UHD
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, i7-8750H, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
4966 Points +6%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.6 GHz, 560X)
Radeon Pro 560X, i7-8850H, Apple SSD AP0512
4805 Points +3%
HP EliteBook 1050 G1-4QY20EA
GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Toshiba XG5-P KXG50PNV2T04
4666 Points
Average Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q
 
4666 Points 0%
Lenovo ThinkPad P52 20MAS03N00
Quadro P1000, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
4428 Points -5%
HP ZBook Studio G4-Y6K17EA
Quadro M1200, E3-1505M v6, Samsung SM961 MZVKW512HMJP m.2 PCI-e
4323 Points -7%
HP EliteBook 850 G5 3JX58EA
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV256G
3517 Points -25%
Lenovo ThinkPad T580-20LAS01H00
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
3425 Points -27%
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
3433 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
4643 points
PCMark 10 Score
4666 points
Help

Storage Solution

HP is able to score with the storage solution in the EliteBook 1050 G1 since it offers even two 2280-M.2 slots. Not only is this excellent in terms of its upgradability, but it also enables a higher storage capacity overall.

Both storage slots in our test unit are occupied with a 2-TB SSD each, so that our test unit offers four Terrabytes of storage in total. The built-in SSDs both come from Toshiba, and they are SSD storage models of the Type XG5 (model number KXG50PNV2T04). This is an NVMe-PCIe SSD that delivered a good but not outstanding performance in our benchmarks.

HP EliteBook 1050 G1-4QY20EA
Toshiba XG5-P KXG50PNV2T04
Dell XPS 15 9570 i7 UHD
Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.6 GHz, 560X)
Apple SSD AP0512
Lenovo ThinkPad T580-20LAS01H00
Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
HP ZBook Studio G4-Y6K17EA
Samsung SM961 MZVKW512HMJP m.2 PCI-e
HP EliteBook 850 G5 3JX58EA
Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV256G
Average Toshiba XG5-P KXG50PNV2T04
 
CrystalDiskMark 3.0
-11%
1%
3%
51%
-9%
4%
Read Seq
1733
1805
4%

1805
4%

1511
-13%
944
-46%
2229
29%
2069
19%
1714 ?(1695 - 1733, n=2)
-1%
Write Seq
1030
523
-49%

523
-49%

1466
42%
924
-10%
1562
52%
393.4
-62%
1039 ?(1030 - 1048, n=2)
1%
Read 512
547
807
48%

807
48%

1015
86%
555
1%
391.4
-28%
914
67%
600 ?(547 - 652, n=2)
10%
Write 512
802
499.7
-38%

499.7
-38%

1166
45%
565
-30%
1279
59%
284.9
-64%
922 ?(802 - 1042, n=2)
15%
Read 4k
27.81
29.02
4%

29.02
4%

10.97
-61%
63.9
130%
56.5
103%
31.76
14%
27.2 ?(26.5 - 27.8, n=2)
-2%
Write 4k
112.4
79.4
-29%

79.4
-29%

19.53
-83%
135.3
20%
182
62%
99.2
-12%
108.2 ?(104 - 112.4, n=2)
-4%
Read 4k QD32
415.8
279
-33%

279
-33%

525
26%
336.2
-19%
645
55%
282
-32%
437 ?(416 - 458, n=2)
5%
Write 4k QD32
345.2
351.9
2%

351.9
2%

212.4
-38%
264.9
-23%
595
72%
338.5
-2%
372 ?(345 - 400, n=2)
8%
Toshiba XG5-P KXG50PNV2T04
Sequential Read: 1733 MB/s
Sequential Write: 1030 MB/s
512K Read: 547 MB/s
512K Write: 802 MB/s
4K Read: 27.81 MB/s
4K Write: 112.4 MB/s
4K QD32 Read: 415.8 MB/s
4K QD32 Write: 345.2 MB/s

Graphics Card

GPU-Z Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q
GPU-Z Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q

The Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q offers an entry into the current GeForce GTX series that is based on the Pascal architecture. As with the power saving variant of the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050, it is also based on the GP107 chip and thus has the same amount of Shader units (640). However, it has to make do with lower clock speeds, since its power consumption is also slightly lower. We recommend taking a look into our GPU benchmark list for a more extensive comparison with other GPUs.

The HP EliteBook 1050 G1 is actually the first laptop using this graphics chip that we have been able to get into our test labs. In the benchmarks, the performance of the GPU remains slightly below that of the GeForce GTX 1050 without Max-Q, as we would have expected. But the difference is not dramatic overall (between 7 and 14%, depending on the test). On the other hand, the GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q that Dell uses in the XPS 15 9570 is significantly faster. The difference compared to that chip is about 30 to 40%, clearly placing the Dell ahead in the graphics performance. The upcoming Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme also uses the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, while the AMD Radeon Pro 560X in the Apple MacBook Pro 15 is about as fast as the GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q in the HP EliteBook 1050 G1. The Nvidia Quadro P1000, which corresponds to a workstation version of the GeForce used here, is slightly slower. In the graphics performance, the ZBook Studio G5 (whose best GPU option is the Quadro P1000) is probably also weaker than the EliteBook 1050.

The performance of the GPU is limited significantly in battery mode. It only produces about half the speed performance if the device runs on battery.

3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU
Average of class Multimedia
  (3408 - 60250, n=87, last 2 years)
18296 Points +166%
Dell XPS 15 9570 i7 UHD
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H
9079 Points +32%
Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN51050
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, Intel Core i5-7500T
7831 Points +14%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.6 GHz, 560X)
AMD Radeon Pro 560X, Intel Core i7-8850H
7590 Points +10%
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q
  (6874 - 7385, n=4)
7142 Points +4%
HP EliteBook 1050 G1-4QY20EA
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H
6874 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad P52 20MAS03N00
NVIDIA Quadro P1000, Intel Core i7-8750H
6115 Points -11%
HP ZBook Studio G4-Y6K17EA
NVIDIA Quadro M1200, Intel Xeon E3-1505M v6
5515 Points -20%
Lenovo ThinkPad T580-20LAS01H00
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i7-8550U
4392 Points -36%
3DMark
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics
Average of class Multimedia
  (14679 - 150699, n=61, last 2 years)
57744 Points +65%
Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN51050
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, Intel Core i5-7500T
37975 Points +9%
HP EliteBook 1050 G1-4QY20EA
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H
34926 Points
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q
  (27059 - 36630, n=4)
33618 Points -4%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.6 GHz, 560X)
AMD Radeon Pro 560X, Intel Core i7-8850H
32449 Points -7%
Lenovo ThinkPad P52 20MAS03N00
NVIDIA Quadro P1000, Intel Core i7-8750H
31396 Points -10%
HP ZBook Studio G4-Y6K17EA
NVIDIA Quadro M1200, Intel Xeon E3-1505M v6
26860 Points -23%
Lenovo ThinkPad T580-20LAS01H00
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i7-8550U
18916 Points -46%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Average of class Multimedia
  (1835 - 46022, n=87, last 2 years)
13540 Points +139%
Dell XPS 15 9570 i7 UHD
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H
7428 Points +31%
Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN51050
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, Intel Core i5-7500T
6066 Points +7%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.6 GHz, 560X)
AMD Radeon Pro 560X, Intel Core i7-8850H
5699 Points 0%
HP EliteBook 1050 G1-4QY20EA
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H
5677 Points
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q
  (5616 - 5792, n=4)
5677 Points 0%
Lenovo ThinkPad P52 20MAS03N00
NVIDIA Quadro P1000, Intel Core i7-8750H
4843 Points -15%
HP ZBook Studio G4-Y6K17EA
NVIDIA Quadro M1200, Intel Xeon E3-1505M v6
4118 Points -27%
Lenovo ThinkPad T580-20LAS01H00
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i7-8550U
3291 Points -42%
2560x1440 Time Spy Graphics
Average of class Multimedia
  (622 - 17620, n=87, last 2 years)
5121 Points +221%
Dell XPS 15 9570 i7 UHD
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H
2278 Points +43%
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q
  (1596 - 1634, n=2)
1615 Points +1%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.6 GHz, 560X)
AMD Radeon Pro 560X, Intel Core i7-8850H
1614 Points +1%
HP EliteBook 1050 G1-4QY20EA
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H
1596 Points
3DMark Vantage - 1280x1024 P GPU no PhysX
Average of class Multimedia
  (28186 - 49631, n=2, last 2 years)
38909 Points +52%
Dell XPS 15 9570 i7 UHD
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H
33189 Points +30%
HP EliteBook 1050 G1-4QY20EA
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H
25577 Points
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q
  (25008 - 25577, n=2)
25293 Points -1%
Lenovo ThinkPad P52 20MAS03N00
NVIDIA Quadro P1000, Intel Core i7-8750H
21687 Points -15%
LuxMark v2.0 64Bit
Sala GPUs-only
Average of class Multimedia
  (1717 - 2796, n=3, last 2 years)
2401 Samples/s +40%
Dell XPS 15 9570 i7 UHD
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H
2100 Samples/s +23%
HP EliteBook 1050 G1-4QY20EA
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H
1712 Samples/s
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q
  (1692 - 1712, n=2)
1702 Samples/s -1%
Lenovo ThinkPad P52 20MAS03N00
NVIDIA Quadro P1000, Intel Core i7-8750H
1260 Samples/s -26%
HP ZBook Studio G4-Y6K17EA
NVIDIA Quadro M1200, Intel Xeon E3-1505M v6
852 Samples/s -50%
Room GPUs-only
Dell XPS 15 9570 i7 UHD
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H
1167 Samples/s +21%
Average of class Multimedia
  (1062 - 1165, n=3, last 2 years)
1107 Samples/s +14%
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q
  (967 - 968, n=2)
968 Samples/s 0%
HP EliteBook 1050 G1-4QY20EA
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H
967 Samples/s
Lenovo ThinkPad P52 20MAS03N00
NVIDIA Quadro P1000, Intel Core i7-8750H
713 Samples/s -26%
HP ZBook Studio G4-Y6K17EA
NVIDIA Quadro M1200, Intel Xeon E3-1505M v6
656 Samples/s -32%
3DMark 06 Standard Score
29687 points
3DMark Vantage P Result
26117 points
3DMark 11 Performance
7396 points
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score
51461 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
14739 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
5114 points
3DMark Time Spy Score
1709 points
Help

Gaming Performance

The EliteBook 1050 G1 is definitely not a dedicated gaming laptop, but thanks to the GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q it is the only HP EliteBook that is really suitable for gaming – at least for the occasional gamer. All the current games are playable on the lowest detail level with reduced resolution, and you can also play almost all of them in Full-HD resolution (1920x1080) and medium to high details. On the other hand, at maximum detail combined with the Full-HD resolution, the GPU definitely starts to sweat, and some games are not playable at maximum details, while others are just barely playable. However, you can forget about gaming in the native 4K resolution (3840x2160), and only very simple games such as “Rocket League” are playable in 4K UHD.

Compared to the Dell XPS 15, the gaming performance of the EliteBook is slightly lower. While the XPS tends to be able to reproduce games in a higher detail level, 4K gaming is also not possible with the Dell laptop.

BioShock Infinite - 1920x1080 Ultra Preset, DX11 (DDOF)
Dell XPS 15 9570 i7 UHD
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, i7-8750H, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
74.6 fps +20%
HP EliteBook 1050 G1-4QY20EA
GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Toshiba XG5-P KXG50PNV2T04
62.1 fps
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q
  (59 - 62.1, n=4)
60.9 fps -2%
Lenovo ThinkPad P52 20MAS03N00
Quadro P1000, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
51.3 fps -17%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.6 GHz, 560X)
Radeon Pro 560X, i7-8850H, Apple SSD AP0512
48.8 fps -21%
The Witcher 3
1920x1080 High Graphics & Postprocessing (Nvidia HairWorks Off)
Average of class Multimedia
  (11.2 - 290, n=90, last 2 years)
89.6 fps +164%
Dell XPS 15 9570 i7 UHD
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, i7-8750H, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
48.2 fps +42%
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q
  (34 - 41, n=3)
36.5 fps +7%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.6 GHz, 560X)
Radeon Pro 560X, i7-8850H, Apple SSD AP0512
34 (29min - 38max) fps 0%
HP EliteBook 1050 G1-4QY20EA
GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Toshiba XG5-P KXG50PNV2T04
34 fps
Lenovo ThinkPad P52 20MAS03N00
Quadro P1000, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
29.9 fps -12%
1920x1080 Ultra Graphics & Postprocessing (HBAO+)
Average of class Multimedia
  (8 - 143.2, n=95, last 2 years)
49.7 fps +169%
Dell XPS 15 9570 i7 UHD
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, i7-8750H, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
26 fps +41%
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q
  (18.5 - 30, n=3)
23.1 fps +25%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.6 GHz, 560X)
Radeon Pro 560X, i7-8850H, Apple SSD AP0512
19.7 (16min - 22max) fps +6%
HP EliteBook 1050 G1-4QY20EA
GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Toshiba XG5-P KXG50PNV2T04
18.5 fps
Lenovo ThinkPad P52 20MAS03N00
Quadro P1000, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
15.7 fps -15%
Battlefield 1 - 1920x1080 High Preset AA:T
Dell XPS 15 9570 i7 UHD
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, i7-8750H, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
51.7 fps +15%
HP EliteBook 1050 G1-4QY20EA
GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Toshiba XG5-P KXG50PNV2T04
45 fps
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q
 
45 fps 0%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.6 GHz, 560X)
Radeon Pro 560X, i7-8850H, Apple SSD AP0512
39.2 (36min - 46max) fps -13%
low med. high ultra4K
BioShock Infinite (2013) 285.1 172.6 150.4 62.1
Company of Heroes 2 (2013) 79.7 71.8 48.7 21.87
GTA V (2015) 118.7 112.9 62.1 27 26.1
The Witcher 3 (2015) 103.2 59.3 34 18.5 12
Dota 2 Reborn (2015) 149.5 134.1 115.5 104.1 37.1
Rainbow Six Siege (2015) 108 93.5 67.5 62.8 22.1
Rise of the Tomb Raider (2016) 105.5 56 33.9 30.3 12.9
The Division (2016) 109.9 69.8 32.3 24.8 10.9
Overwatch (2016) 256.9 160 80.5 48.9 26
Deus Ex Mankind Divided (2016) 71.5 52.6 28.3 20.3 9
Battlefield 1 (2016) 144.7 89.2 45 41.3 15.9
Civilization VI (2016) 141 82.7 35 28.6 23
For Honor (2017) 140.5 53.5 49.8 38.1 14.7
Ghost Recon Wildlands (2017) 80.6 35.7 32.5 17.1 10.5
Rocket League (2017) 240.3 155.4 98.8 36.7
Dirt 4 (2017) 191.1 88 47.1 26.2 15.4
Team Fortress 2 (2017) 136 128 120 118 55
Playerunknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG) (2017) 51.4 33.6 11.3
FIFA 18 (2017) 254.7 153.2 127.5 127 55.5
Middle-earth: Shadow of War (2017) 97 44 31 24 10
Destiny 2 (2017) 82.2 57.4 51.6 38.1 13.5
Assassin´s Creed Origins (2017) 59 40 35 28 11
Call of Duty WWII (2017) 144.8 99.6 46.7 36.7 16.1
Star Wars Battlefront 2 (2017) 82.5 56.5 48.8 32.7 7.4
Fortnite (2018) 142.8 111.8 49.4 36.5 9.3
Final Fantasy XV Benchmark (2018) 56.9 29.3 20.6 7.9
Kingdom Come: Deliverance (2018) 82.1 36.8 29.5 21.5 6
X-Plane 11.11 (2018) 88.8 80.9 65.1 30.3
Far Cry 5 (2018) 66 35 33 30 10
The Crew 2 (2018) 42 37 33.4 10.4
Monster Hunter World (2018) 73.7 32 24 20 5.8
F1 2018 (2018) 104 63 47 29 13

Emissions

Noise Emissions

HP did not really succeed with the fan control. Although the fans are often turned off during idle, some times they are active. For example if you download something, the CPU shows a load of about 4 to 8%, and in that case the cooling system runs almost constantly, even though the CPU temperatures remain in the range below 50 °C (122 °F). So HP could definitely be more courageous and leave the fans silent more often, considering that Dell also manages to keep the fans inactive during idle in the XPS 15. In addition, the fans run at higher frequencies and also produce more noise on average under load than in the Dell XPS 15.

Unfortunately, the HP EliteBook 1050 G1 is not spared the coil whine problem. While the coil whine does not happen all the time, if it does, you can also hear it if you are not sitting right in front of the notebook and putting your ear to the keyboard. 

Noise Level

Idle
30.25 / 30.25 / 31.8 dB(A)
Load
44.7 / 42 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   Audix TM1, Arta (15 cm distance)   environment noise: 30.25 dB(A)
dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs203434.833.232.9342538.635.332.940.138.63143.437.936.839.443.44036.231.532.130.536.25035.936.536.534.735.96330.328.330.729.930.38028.530.72926.628.510026.52925.824.926.512528.725.526.225.428.716024.624.725.223.924.6200242424.122.82425022.222.723.12222.231521.724.123.521.321.740020.526.625.119.920.550019.724.424.219.319.763019.927.425.218.919.980020.12927.118.520.1100020.930.929.11820.9125021.431.729.617.621.4160020.532.630.717.520.520002035.132.617.420250019.736.33417.419.7315018.735.632.717.518.7400018.936.532.217.618.950001829.225.617.91863001826.223.11818800018.222.720.11818.21000018.22018.71818.21250018.518.918.417.918.51600018.218.418.117.918.2SPL31.844.74230.331.8N1.54.23.41.21.5median 20median 26.6median 25.2median 18median 20Delta1.74.33.11.41.731.929.83230.63432.933.130.928.225.626.226.925.928.432.627.727.129.429.228.630.630.226.426.62626.827.727.230.526.326.22726.227.424.727.123.423.622.22423.123.727.923.720.621.823.522.62524.821.521.421.823.222.124.922.622.720.520.722.221.621.922.321.720.920.621.320.721.42221.820.721.420.220.321.223.322.621.522.920.319.723.122.521.320201918.622.724.922.121.220.819.318.924.425.722.921.520.519.719.326.527.123.722.321.119.519.127.726.423.72220.719.7192627.92422.421.419.219.12728.926.223.72219.618.828.230.827.32522.219.418.730.629.526.624.522.918.518.130.128.52522.519.718.217.828.231.926.323.620.618.917.332.33024.72220.118.516.630.426.421.719.618.217.516.326.323.919.418.117.116.716.124.119.817.816.916.716.615.619.61817.417.21717.215.417.417.918.419.319.118.41515.917.317.418.118.718.114.614.940.336.534.332.630.729.940.43.32.421.71.41.33.3median 24.9median 22.6median 21.4median 20.6median 19.2median 18.7median 24.932.61.41.40.81.73.7hearing rangehide median Fan NoiseHP EliteBook 1050 G1-4QY20EADell XPS 15 9570 i7 UHD

Temperature

Stress test (Prime95 + FurMark)
Stress test (Prime95 + FurMark)

The temperatures of the HP EliteBook 1050 G1 case remain in non-critical ranges even under load. The maximum reached is a temperature of 46 °C (115 °F) at the bottom. For comparison, the Dell XPS 15 9570 with the i5-8300H gets significantly warmer, reaching up to 55 °C (131 °F).

These low temperatures under load can be explained easily through the results of our stress test with Prime95 and FurMark: HP only allows the processor to use 60 watts for about one minute. After that, the TDP is limited to only 15 watts, so that the six processor cores run at only 1.4 GHz instead of 4 GHz for the rest of the hour-long stress test. With this, HP keeps the CPU temperatures below 70 °C (158 °F) – so there is temperature-dependent throttling of the CPU here. HP gives a little more leeway to the GPU, but the GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q also has to reduce its clock rate slightly during the stress test.

A 3DMark11 test run right after the stress test produced a result at the regular level, so you do not need to worry as much about throttling in everyday operation. 

Max. Load
 33.5 °C
92 F
44.4 °C
112 F
42.6 °C
109 F
 
 33.2 °C
92 F
39.7 °C
103 F
38.4 °C
101 F
 
 28 °C
82 F
26 °C
79 F
29.3 °C
85 F
 
Maximum: 44.4 °C = 112 F
Average: 35 °C = 95 F
39.3 °C
103 F
46.4 °C
116 F
36.2 °C
97 F
34.7 °C
94 F
40.3 °C
105 F
33.1 °C
92 F
28.3 °C
83 F
27.9 °C
82 F
27.2 °C
81 F
Maximum: 46.4 °C = 116 F
Average: 34.8 °C = 95 F
Power Supply (max.)  39 °C = 102 F | Room Temperature 21.6 °C = 71 F | FIRT 550-Pocket
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 35 °C / 95 F, compared to the average of 31.2 °C / 88 F for the devices in the class Multimedia.
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 44.4 °C / 112 F, compared to the average of 36.9 °C / 98 F, ranging from 21.1 to 71 °C for the class Multimedia.
(-) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 46.4 °C / 116 F, compared to the average of 39.1 °C / 102 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 26.5 °C / 80 F, compared to the device average of 31.2 °C / 88 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 29.3 °C / 84.7 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(±) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.8 °C / 83.8 F (-0.5 °C / -0.9 F).
Top (idle)
Top (idle)
Bottom (idle)
Bottom (idle)
Top (load)
Top (load)
Bottom (load)
Bottom (load)

Speakers

HP gives the stereo speakers a very prominent position above the keyboard, so that the sound is directed upward. But of course more than a good speaker positioning is needed for a good sound. Fortunately the built-in Bang-&-Olufsen speakers are above-average representatives of their kind. Even though the bass is completely lacking as is often the case, otherwise the speakers deliver a sufficiently loud and balanced sound that can also fill a small room. Only the Apple MacBook Pro 15, which is the best in its class in this respect, fares even slightly better here. 

Alternatively, you can also use the flawlessly-functioning headphone jack to connect external speakers or headphones.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2034.432.934.42536.640.136.63143.839.443.84035.730.535.75037.734.737.76330.929.930.98035.626.635.610045.824.945.812551.325.451.316055.723.955.720054.422.854.425046.42246.431550.421.350.440063.319.963.350065.719.365.763067.218.967.280070.718.570.71000731873125077.117.677.116006917.569200072.717.472.7250072.217.472.231507117.571400067.817.667.8500070.117.970.1630071.81871.8800070.31870.3100007018701250068.917.968.91600062.217.962.2SPL83.530.383.5N54.51.254.5median 68.9median 18median 68.9Delta6.81.46.833.933.532.632.430.130.831.129.830.627.537.52846.425.557.525.664.625.267.523.966.822.871.521.970.521.872.820.874.320.474.519.771.218.870.318.570.91874.717.471.817.475.317.173.417.570.317.172.917.376.517.269.117.369.117.365.317.264.417.38583.430.270.561.21.4median 70.9median 18.5median 15.82.46.614.438.833.738.841.234.141.242.635.742.64230.54244.437.644.446.328.746.346.426.246.447.32647.348.326.748.35024.85052.223.652.255.123.255.159.222.659.261.922.761.965.42065.472.119.372.173.718.773.769.118.169.169.61869.672.617.972.671.21871.27217.97272.518.272.562.918.562.960.518.660.561.518.761.564.818.964.861.31961.363.919.163.959.519.459.581.73181.7491.449median 62.9median 19median 62.9828hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseHP EliteBook 1050 G1-4QY20EAApple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.6 GHz, 560X)Dell XPS 15 2018 i5 FHD 97Wh
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
HP EliteBook 1050 G1-4QY20EA audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (77.1 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 18.2% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (11% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 3.6% away from median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (9.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 1.9% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (3% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (14.7% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 27% of all tested devices in this class were better, 4% similar, 69% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 18%, worst was 45%
Compared to all devices tested
» 15% of all tested devices were better, 4% similar, 81% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.6 GHz, 560X) audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (85 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(+) | good bass - only 4.7% away from median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (8.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 1.8% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (3.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.6% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (5.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (6.4% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 2% of all tested devices in this class were better, 1% similar, 97% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 18%, worst was 45%
Compared to all devices tested
» 0% of all tested devices were better, 0% similar, 99% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Dell XPS 15 2018 i5 FHD 97Wh audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (73 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 10.9% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (4.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 6.8% higher than median
(+) | mids are linear (6.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.7% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (6.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (16.6% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 36% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 57% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 18%, worst was 45%
Compared to all devices tested
» 24% of all tested devices were better, 5% similar, 71% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Power Management

Power Consumption

Laptops with powerful processors of the H series (45 watts TDP) tend to consume more power than devices with power-saving processors of the U series. The HP EliteBook 1050 G1 is no exception here, and its consumption is significantly higher compared to laptops such as the Lenovo ThinkPad T580 or the HP EliteBook 850 G5. However, for a powerful laptop HP has optimized the consumption of the EliteBook 1050 relatively well. The idle consumption of the Dell XPS 15 is considerably higher, and also the Apple MacBook Pro 15 turns out worse in parts during idle, despite its lower-resolution display. Among the powerful comparison devices, only the Lenovo ThinkPad P52 is more energy efficient overall. It has a lower-resolution Full-HD panel, though. Compared to the ZBook Studio G4, HP has improved the power consumption immensely.

At 122 watts, the maximum power consumption is within the range of the included 150-watt power supply. While the device can also be charged with a universal USB-C charger, when using that you have to be aware that it will not be able to provide for the consumption of the EliteBook under full load.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.3 / 1.4 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 6.1 / 10.2 / 13.4 Watt
Load midlight 82 / 122 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.
HP EliteBook 1050 G1-4QY20EA
i7-8750H, GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q, Toshiba XG5-P KXG50PNV2T04, IPS LED, 3840x2160, 15.60
Dell XPS 15 9570 i7 UHD
i7-8750H, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G, IPS, 3840x2160, 15.60
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.6 GHz, 560X)
i7-8850H, Radeon Pro 560X, Apple SSD AP0512, IPS, 2880x1800, 15.40
HP ZBook Studio G4-Y6K17EA
E3-1505M v6, Quadro M1200, Samsung SM961 MZVKW512HMJP m.2 PCI-e, IPS, 3840x2160, 15.60
Lenovo ThinkPad P52 20MAS03N00
i7-8750H, Quadro P1000, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ, IPS LED, 1920x1080, 15.60
Lenovo ThinkPad T580-20LAS01H00
i5-8550U, GeForce MX150, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ, IPS LED, 3840x2160, 15.60
HP EliteBook 850 G5 3JX58EA
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV256G, IPS LED, 1920x1080, 15.60
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q
 
Average of class Multimedia
 
Power Consumption
-32%
11%
-50%
12%
17%
45%
13%
-7%
Idle Minimum *
6.1
9.48
-55%
3.4
44%
12.6
-107%
4.02
34%
5.3
13%
2.7
56%
4.48 ?(2.3 - 6.8, n=4)
27%
7.28 ?(2.2 - 34.6, n=93, last 2 years)
-19%
Idle Average *
10.2
16.1
-58%
11
-8%
17.1
-68%
7.2
29%
10.2
-0%
8.1
21%
9.58 ?(8 - 10.3, n=4)
6%
11.8 ?(4.6 - 43, n=93, last 2 years)
-16%
Idle Maximum *
13.4
16.9
-26%
14.9
-11%
19.3
-44%
11.46
14%
13.6
-1%
10.1
25%
11.6 ?(10.6 - 13.4, n=4)
13%
14.6 ?(5.6 - 44.9, n=93, last 2 years)
-9%
Load Average *
82
90.8
-11%
78.9
4%
88.3
-8%
76.3
7%
58.3
29%
39
52%
77.3 ?(74 - 82, n=4)
6%
77.3 ?(14.3 - 147, n=92, last 2 years)
6%
Load Maximum *
122
134.4
-10%
91.2
25%
147.3
-21%
154
-26%
65.3
46%
37.2
70%
105.5 ?(89 - 122, n=4)
14%
119.3 ?(44 - 247, n=92, last 2 years)
2%
Witcher 3 ultra *
74.8
74
47.8

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

Time to recharge: 134 min
Time to recharge: 134 min

The internal Lithium-Ion battery of the HP EliteBook 1050 G1 has a capacity of 96 Wh. With this, it has about the same size as the battery of the Dell XPS 15 9570, while the Apple MacBook Pro 15 has a slightly smaller battery of only 83 Wh. The EliteBook fares well in the battery life tests, thanks to the large battery, with the XPS 15 and MacBook Pro 15 lasting slightly longer. Almost 9 hours in the WLAN test is a decent value suitable for everyday use. Compared to the HP Notebook ZBook Studio G4, the battery life has improved significantly. 

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
17h 07min
WiFi Websurfing (Edge)
8h 43min
Big Buck Bunny H.264 1080p
9h 41min
Load (maximum brightness)
2h 08min
HP EliteBook 1050 G1-4QY20EA
i7-8750H, GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q, 96 Wh
Dell XPS 15 9570 i7 UHD
i7-8750H, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, 97 Wh
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.6 GHz, 560X)
i7-8850H, Radeon Pro 560X, 83 Wh
Lenovo ThinkPad T580-20LAS01H00
i5-8550U, GeForce MX150, 105 Wh
HP ZBook Studio G4-Y6K17EA
E3-1505M v6, Quadro M1200, 64 Wh
HP EliteBook 850 G5 3JX58EA
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620, 56 Wh
Lenovo ThinkPad P52 20MAS03N00
i7-8750H, Quadro P1000, 96 Wh
Average of class Multimedia
 
Battery Runtime
-1%
19%
9%
-61%
20%
15%
-2%
Reader / Idle
1027
1181
15%
410
-60%
1066
4%
1519
48%
933 ?(506 - 1571, n=25, last 2 years)
-9%
H.264
581
738
27%
701
21%
565
-3%
627
8%
733
26%
680 ?(319 - 1481, n=49, last 2 years)
17%
WiFi v1.3
523
576
10%
614
17%
522
0%
201
-62%
556
6%
637
22%
560 ?(262 - 1204, n=92, last 2 years)
7%
Load
128
76
-41%
158
23%
50
-61%
207
62%
79
-38%
96.9 ?(39 - 215, n=73, last 2 years)
-24%
Witcher 3 ultra
62
88
81.8 ?(57 - 104, n=5, last 2 years)

Verdict

Pros

+ very high-quality metal case
+ good input devices
+ matte 4K display with good brightness
+ solid connection equipment
+ infrared webcam with privacy aperture
+ good expansion options: two M.2 SSD slots
+ case remains cool even under load
+ good speakers
+ high performance capabilities
+ suitable for gaming

Cons

- high price
- heaviest and largest model in its class
- weaker GPU than in the Dell XPS 15
- significant throttling in the stress test
- high-frequency fan runs too often
- bad brightness distribution of the display
- loud coil whine
- bad positioning of the fan vents
- the better DreamColor display remains reserved to the similar ZBook
- less business features than the EliteBook 850 G5
- performance limits in battery mode
HP EliteBook 1050 G1, provided by HP
HP EliteBook 1050 G1, provided by HP

Completely new laptop models without a predecessor, such as the HP EliteBook 1050 G1, are always interesting. Did HP succeed with its first real multimedia model of the EliteBook series, and is it a worthy challenger to the Dell XPS 15?

HP definitely succeeded with the case and design of the EliteBook 1050: extremely high-quality, very sturdy, and visually attractive – suitable for the price range. There is also nothing to complain about the input devices. HP uses a glass touchpad that can be operated comfortably and a good keyboard (even if it is not perfect). As for the display, HP offers a matte 4K UHD LCD, which is an option that none of the competitors can offer. This display also has good brightness values of almost 400 cd/m². The connection equipment is solid and significantly more extensive than for example in the Apple MacBook Pro 15. While the webcam is not any better compared to the Dell XPS 15, at least it is positioned correctly above the monitor. It also offers more functions with its privacy aperture and infrared sensors. Thanks to a second M.2-2280 slot, the EliteBook 1050 G1 is also more expandable than the Dell XPS 15. In addition, the EliteBook remains significantly cooler in comparison, and it also has good speakers (for a laptop).

However, is this sufficient to stand up to the competitors? Probably not, since not only is the EliteBook 1050 G1 considerably more expensive, but it also has some weaknesses. These include for example the facts that while the case is quite sturdy, it is also relatively heavy and there are large bezels above and below the screen. Not only is the EliteBook 1050 G1 the heaviest model in its class, it is also not nearly as compact as the Dell XPS 15. Moreover, its overall performance is lower than that of the Dell competitor: Even though the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q in combination with Intel's hexacore processor make it basically suitable for gaming, the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q in the Dell XPS 15 is noticeably faster. Furthermore, the EliteBook is significantly throttled in the stress test – the drawback of keeping the temperatures low. We also do not like the noise level of the EliteBook. The fan runs too often and at a frequency that is too high, and it is relatively loud; there is also some coil whine on top, and the fans blow hot air onto the hands of mouse users, due to the sub-optimal placement of the vents.

We also have some complaints about the display, such as its brightness distribution being fairly uneven. But what is more serious is that HP withholds the considerably brighter and more vibrant DreamColor 4K-UHD display from the EliteBook 1050 G1, even though it is offered in the identically equipped HP ZBook Studio G5. This decision is incomprehensible for such an expensive notebook. Overall, we also would have wished for more business features, such as a PointStick, a smartcard reader, or Ethernet. This is a missed chance to turn the EliteBook 1050 G1 into a real business all-rounder.

Very good sometimes is not good enough: The HP EliteBook 1050 G1 is a high-quality business multimedia notebook that is however inferior to the Dell XPS 15 overall.

Finally, the HP EliteBook 1050 G1 does achieve a very good result of 89% in our evaluation. While this might at first glance be surprising considering our complaints, of course our critique points are at a high level. After all, the price is correspondingly high and the competitors are very strong. The Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 achieves an evaluation of 90% and the Dell XPS 15 9570 even reaches 92% – and that as a more affordable variant. While the HP EliteBook 1050 G1 receives our recommendation, there are not many clear-cut reasons to prefer it over the competitors. The Dell XPS 15 in particular offers simply a better price-performance ratio. So while Dell need not fear the EliteBook, it might still become interesting in this category, since the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme will reach the market shortly. Whether it can become more of a danger for the XPS 15, our review that will probably follow soon will show.

HP EliteBook 1050 G1-4QY20EA - 10/25/2019 v7
Benjamin Herzig

Chassis
90 / 98 → 92%
Keyboard
86%
Pointing Device
87%
Connectivity
67 / 80 → 83%
Weight
63 / 20-72 → 82%
Battery
83 / 95 → 87%
Display
88%
Games Performance
71 / 90 → 79%
Application Performance
83 / 90 → 92%
Temperature
90%
Noise
85 / 95 → 89%
Audio
76%
Camera
37 / 85 → 44%
Average
77%
86%
Multimedia - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > HP EliteBook 1050 G1 (i7-8750H, 4K, GTX 1050 Max-Q) Laptop Review
Benjamin Herzig, 2018-09-20 (Update: 2019-02-27)