HP ProBook 440 G9 Review: Efficient Core i7-1255U laptop without shine
The HP ProBook 440 G9 that we tested offers a lot of familiar features. In particular, the exterior seems almost unchanged compared to its predecessor, the HP ProBook 440 G8. More information about the chassis and input devices can be found in the ProBook 440 G8's review linked before, but we will only mention them in passing here.
An IPS panel is now installed instead of a VA panel, even though our measurements can hardly stir up any enthusiasm.
That's not all, however. HP primarily promises a fast performance, low emissions even during high loads, and lots of security for the stored data. Small and medium-sized businesses especially buy additional security features with the ProBook, which their own IT department cannot take over. Otherwise, businesses also have choice of even more powerful laptops for just over €1,000, such as a Lenovo ThinkBook 14 G4.
In the test, the ProBook 440 G9 with Intel Core i7-1255U, 16 GB RAM, and 512 GB M.2 SSD shows where the improvements or new weaknesses lie when compared to its predecessor, the ProBook 440 G8 or to the version of the ProBook with AMD processor.
Possible competitors in comparison
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Drive | Size | Resolution | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 85.3 % v7 (old) | 03 / 2023 | HP ProBook 440 G9-5Y3Z3EA i7-1255U, Iris Xe G7 96EUs | 1.4 kg | Samsung PM991 MZVLQ512HBLU | 14.00" | 1920x1080 | |
| 85.3 % v7 (old) | 07 / 2022 | HP ProBook 445 G8-3Z6Q8ES R5 5600U, Vega 7 | 1.4 kg | SSSTC CL1-8D512-HP | 14.00" | 1920x1080 | |
| 84.9 % v7 (old) | 01 / 2023 | Acer Aspire Vero AV14-51-72DL i7-1255U, Iris Xe G7 96EUs | 1.5 kg | Micron 2450 1TB MTFDKBA1T0TFK | 14.00" | 1920x1080 | |
| 84.6 % v7 (old) | 09 / 2022 | Lenovo ThinkBook 14 G4 21DK0004GE R5 5625U, Vega 7 | 1.5 kg | Samsung PM991a MZALQ512HBLU | 14.00" | 1920x1080 |
Case and equipment: Limited choice of ports for the ProBook
With an aluminum lid and keyboard frame, the ProBook 440 G9's chassis is stable and torsion resistant. It also appears to be precisely manufactured and spares any visual conspicuities.
The selection of ports is limited. Thunderbolt or an SD card reader are completely missing, while the LAN port only reaches 1 Gbit/s. Only the USB Type-C at least reaches 10 Gbit/s. As a basic selection, it is okay.
A RAM slot and a slot for a second M.2 SSD or a WWAN module are still free inside. The primary SSD, battery, WLAN module, and the complete working memory are replaceable. Accessing the innards is similar to other HP laptops and can be accomplished with almost no effort — only five exposed screws have to be removed.
Communication, software, and input devices: HP offers extensive security and service software
A big plus point of the ProBook is its software offering. HP provides a whole range of programs that always ensure up-to-date drivers and can detect various software conflicts. HP Wolf Security is a comprehensive security package. Basically, everything is included from protection against malware via a built-in sandbox browser to protected hardware that helps to restore the original system after an attack. The associated license has to be renewed after one year.
Thanks to Wi-Fi 6E, data transfer is very fast even with large amounts of data. If the distance to the router is small enough, even the LAN cable would be slower. The difference is enormous, especially in comparison to the HP ProBook 445 G8 with an AMD processor.
The two-level backlit keyboard is not very remarkable. It is suitable for quick typing but is not better than most chiclet keyboards.
The webcam convinces with good brightening of even extremely dark scenes. The image noise also remains decent, while the overall image quality is weak on the 720p webcam. Color deviations are present but not very pronounced. A dual-array microphone always records the sound in decent quality and relatively constant volume, but it sounds tinny. However, this is perfectly sufficient for video telephony on the go.
In addition, a physical shutter is installed to cover the lens. Next to the webcam is also an infrared camera for unlocking via face recognition. It works flawlessly and should render the fingerprint scanner somewhat redundant.
| Networking | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| HP ProBook 440 G9-5Y3Z3EA | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 14 G4 21DK0004GE | |
| Acer Aspire Vero AV14-51-72DL | |
| HP ProBook 445 G8-3Z6Q8ES | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| HP ProBook 440 G9-5Y3Z3EA | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 14 G4 21DK0004GE | |
| Acer Aspire Vero AV14-51-72DL | |
| HP ProBook 445 G8-3Z6Q8ES | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz | |
| Acer Aspire Vero AV14-51-72DL | |
| HP ProBook 440 G9-5Y3Z3EA | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz | |
| HP ProBook 440 G9-5Y3Z3EA | |
| Acer Aspire Vero AV14-51-72DL | |
Display: Don't use HP's business notebook for creative work
The ProBook 440 G9 offers a picture that is sufficient for writing, reading, and working. The Full HD resolution on a 14-inch diagonal provides detailed pictures. However, these are neither very color-intensive nor particularly bright. The color palette is at most sufficient for the correct display of pictures and graphics but would already be overtaxed in simple image editing.
The brightness of just under 250 cd/m² always allows good legibility indoors as long as no direct light falls on the workstation. The backlight is reduced to a minimum in battery mode, so text can only be read sufficiently well in a shady place, especially outdoors. In contrast, the screen content is almost hidden in sunlight.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 86 %
Center on Battery: 109 cd/m²
Contrast: ∞:1 (Black: 0 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 8.41 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.9
ΔE Greyscale 7.6 | 0.5-98 Ø5.2
38.2% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
55.5% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
37% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 3.12
| HP ProBook 440 G9-5Y3Z3EA AUO559C, , 1920x1080, 14" | HP ProBook 445 G8-3Z6Q8ES AUO559C, IPS LED, 1920x1080, 14" | Acer Aspire Vero AV14-51-72DL AU Optronics B140HAN06.2, IPS, 1920x1080, 14" | Lenovo ThinkBook 14 G4 21DK0004GE LENOVO LEN140FHD, IPS, 1920x1080, 14" | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display | 0% | 81% | 14% | |
| Display P3 Coverage | 37 | 36.9 0% | 68.1 84% | 42.2 14% |
| sRGB Coverage | 55.5 | 55.5 0% | 98.6 78% | 62.9 13% |
| AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 38.2 | 38.2 0% | 69.4 82% | 43.6 14% |
| Response Times | -40% | -67% | -1% | |
| Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 42 ? | 39 ? 7% | 56 ? -33% | 29 ? 31% |
| Response Time Black / White * | 15 ? | 28 ? -87% | 30 ? -100% | 20 ? -33% |
| PWM Frequency | ||||
| Screen | 15% | 51% | 8% | |
| Brightness middle | 255 | 304 19% | 329 29% | 306 20% |
| Brightness | 233 | 270 16% | 308 32% | 283 21% |
| Brightness Distribution | 86 | 83 -3% | 88 2% | 85 -1% |
| Black Level * | 0.25 | 0.17 | 0.38 | |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 8.41 | 6.78 19% | 1.31 84% | 6 29% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 13.51 | 17.59 -30% | 2.38 82% | 20.5 -52% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 7.6 | 2.43 68% | 1.75 77% | 5.1 33% |
| Gamma | 3.12 71% | 2.43 91% | 2.39 92% | 2.13 103% |
| CCT | 6233 104% | 6759 96% | 6448 101% | 6264 104% |
| Contrast | 1216 | 1935 | 805 | |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated * | 4.69 | 0.94 | 4.5 | |
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | -8% /
1% | 22% /
38% | 7% /
8% |
* ... smaller is better
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 15 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 4 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 11 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 33 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (20.9 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 42 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 18 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 24 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.165 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 64 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (32.8 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 8687 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured. | |||
Besides a limited color palette, the color fidelity is also rather low. Color deviations are visible to the naked eye.
However, for a classic work device that the ProBook is, this is not a disadvantage.
Performance: ProBook 440 G9 well-equipped with Core i7
The Intel Alder Lake Core i7-1255U processor stands out when looking at the hardware. In addition, there is enough working memory of 16 GB and a decently sized 512 GB SSD. However, the RAM is still DDR4. The SSD runs on PCIe 3.0 speeds.
Neither will slow down the processor, which ensures that all tasks — even those executed in parallel — are processed quickly. A dGPU is completely omitted. The Intel Iris Xe 96EUs manages less demanding graphic applications very well. However, it is too weak for gaming or video rendering.
Processor
The Intel Core i7-1255U does not shy away from demanding tasks. Two performance and eight efficiency cores as well as the resulting twelve threads ensure high computing power.
HP has also granted the CPU in the ProBook 440 G9 a higher power consumption than is standard. While, for example, the HP ProBook 450 G9 is allowed 15 W over a longer period, the identical CPU runs with 24 W here. For a fraction of a second, it is even allowed to consume 51 W and not just 39 W like in the larger model. This momentary increase in power is responsible for the CPU's clear advantages in benchmarks like the Cinebench R15 multi-core loop test.
On the other hand, the power consumption is limited to 12 W (for 28 seconds) and 17 W (for 2.44 ms) in battery mode.
This results in performance rates that are consistently above those of the ProBook 450 in our CPU benchmarks. However, laptops that are less cut out efficiency can get even more performance out of the Core i7, like the HP Spectre x360.
Cinebench R15 Multi Dauertest
| CPU Performance Rating - Percent | |
| Average of class Office | |
| Acer Aspire Vero AV14-51-72DL | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1255U | |
| HP ProBook 440 G9-5Y3Z3EA | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 14 G4 21DK0004GE | |
| HP ProBook 445 G8-3Z6Q8ES -1! | |
* ... smaller is better
AIDA64: FP32 Ray-Trace | FPU Julia | CPU SHA3 | CPU Queen | FPU SinJulia | FPU Mandel | CPU AES | CPU ZLib | FP64 Ray-Trace | CPU PhotoWorxx
| Performance Rating | |
| Average of class Office | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 14 G4 21DK0004GE | |
| HP ProBook 445 G8-3Z6Q8ES | |
| Acer Aspire Vero AV14-51-72DL | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1255U | |
| HP ProBook 440 G9-5Y3Z3EA | |
| AIDA64 / FP32 Ray-Trace | |
| Average of class Office (763 - 24250, n=89, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 14 G4 21DK0004GE | |
| HP ProBook 445 G8-3Z6Q8ES | |
| Acer Aspire Vero AV14-51-72DL | |
| HP ProBook 440 G9-5Y3Z3EA | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1255U (4313 - 8127, n=10) | |
| AIDA64 / FPU Julia | |
| HP ProBook 445 G8-3Z6Q8ES | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 14 G4 21DK0004GE | |
| Average of class Office (4113 - 102371, n=89, last 2 years) | |
| Acer Aspire Vero AV14-51-72DL | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1255U (19813 - 41353, n=10) | |
| HP ProBook 440 G9-5Y3Z3EA | |
| AIDA64 / CPU SHA3 | |
| Average of class Office (287 - 4551, n=89, last 2 years) | |
| HP ProBook 445 G8-3Z6Q8ES | |
| Acer Aspire Vero AV14-51-72DL | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 14 G4 21DK0004GE | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1255U (1325 - 2135, n=10) | |
| HP ProBook 440 G9-5Y3Z3EA | |
| AIDA64 / CPU Queen | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 14 G4 21DK0004GE | |
| Average of class Office (8185 - 115197, n=89, last 2 years) | |
| HP ProBook 445 G8-3Z6Q8ES | |
| Acer Aspire Vero AV14-51-72DL | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1255U (61375 - 65892, n=10) | |
| HP ProBook 440 G9-5Y3Z3EA | |
| AIDA64 / FPU SinJulia | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 14 G4 21DK0004GE | |
| HP ProBook 445 G8-3Z6Q8ES | |
| Average of class Office (404 - 14288, n=89, last 2 years) | |
| Acer Aspire Vero AV14-51-72DL | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1255U (3577 - 5095, n=10) | |
| HP ProBook 440 G9-5Y3Z3EA | |
| AIDA64 / FPU Mandel | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 14 G4 21DK0004GE | |
| HP ProBook 445 G8-3Z6Q8ES | |
| Average of class Office (2075 - 54846, n=89, last 2 years) | |
| Acer Aspire Vero AV14-51-72DL | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1255U (11759 - 20187, n=10) | |
| HP ProBook 440 G9-5Y3Z3EA | |
| AIDA64 / CPU AES | |
| Average of class Office (7254 - 155900, n=89, last 2 years) | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1255U (27900 - 67458, n=10) | |
| Acer Aspire Vero AV14-51-72DL | |
| HP ProBook 440 G9-5Y3Z3EA | |
| HP ProBook 445 G8-3Z6Q8ES | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 14 G4 21DK0004GE | |
| AIDA64 / CPU ZLib | |
| Average of class Office (78 - 1018, n=89, last 2 years) | |
| Acer Aspire Vero AV14-51-72DL | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1255U (393 - 640, n=10) | |
| HP ProBook 445 G8-3Z6Q8ES | |
| HP ProBook 440 G9-5Y3Z3EA | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 14 G4 21DK0004GE | |
| AIDA64 / FP64 Ray-Trace | |
| Average of class Office (432 - 12869, n=89, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 14 G4 21DK0004GE | |
| HP ProBook 445 G8-3Z6Q8ES | |
| Acer Aspire Vero AV14-51-72DL | |
| HP ProBook 440 G9-5Y3Z3EA | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1255U (2474 - 4400, n=10) | |
| AIDA64 / CPU PhotoWorxx | |
| Acer Aspire Vero AV14-51-72DL | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1255U (13899 - 44054, n=10) | |
| Average of class Office (4814 - 54971, n=89, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 14 G4 21DK0004GE | |
| HP ProBook 440 G9-5Y3Z3EA | |
| HP ProBook 445 G8-3Z6Q8ES | |
System performance
Multitasking works very well with the HP ProBook 440 G9. Fast program starts and short response times ensure smooth work. A performance reduction is noticeable in battery mode, but the notebook remains cool and quiet at the same time.
CrossMark: Overall | Productivity | Creativity | Responsiveness
| PCMark 10 / Score | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 14 G4 21DK0004GE | |
| Average of class Office (2463 - 7344, n=82, last 2 years) | |
| Acer Aspire Vero AV14-51-72DL | |
| HP ProBook 440 G9-5Y3Z3EA | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1255U, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs (4676 - 5523, n=9) | |
| HP ProBook 445 G8-3Z6Q8ES | |
| PCMark 10 / Essentials | |
| Acer Aspire Vero AV14-51-72DL | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1255U, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs (9381 - 11654, n=9) | |
| Average of class Office (5575 - 20841, n=82, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 14 G4 21DK0004GE | |
| HP ProBook 440 G9-5Y3Z3EA | |
| HP ProBook 445 G8-3Z6Q8ES | |
| PCMark 10 / Productivity | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 14 G4 21DK0004GE | |
| HP ProBook 445 G8-3Z6Q8ES | |
| Average of class Office (3041 - 10415, n=82, last 2 years) | |
| HP ProBook 440 G9-5Y3Z3EA | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1255U, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs (6530 - 7418, n=9) | |
| Acer Aspire Vero AV14-51-72DL | |
| PCMark 10 / Digital Content Creation | |
| Average of class Office (2049 - 9773, n=82, last 2 years) | |
| Acer Aspire Vero AV14-51-72DL | |
| HP ProBook 440 G9-5Y3Z3EA | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1255U, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs (4498 - 6203, n=9) | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 14 G4 21DK0004GE | |
| HP ProBook 445 G8-3Z6Q8ES | |
| CrossMark / Overall | |
| Acer Aspire Vero AV14-51-72DL | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1255U, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs (1329 - 1573, n=9) | |
| Average of class Office (348 - 1891, n=86, last 2 years) | |
| HP ProBook 440 G9-5Y3Z3EA | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 14 G4 21DK0004GE | |
| HP ProBook 445 G8-3Z6Q8ES | |
| CrossMark / Productivity | |
| Acer Aspire Vero AV14-51-72DL | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1255U, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs (1364 - 1554, n=9) | |
| Average of class Office (393 - 1870, n=86, last 2 years) | |
| HP ProBook 440 G9-5Y3Z3EA | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 14 G4 21DK0004GE | |
| HP ProBook 445 G8-3Z6Q8ES | |
| CrossMark / Creativity | |
| Acer Aspire Vero AV14-51-72DL | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1255U, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs (1372 - 1660, n=9) | |
| Average of class Office (340 - 1982, n=86, last 2 years) | |
| HP ProBook 440 G9-5Y3Z3EA | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 14 G4 21DK0004GE | |
| HP ProBook 445 G8-3Z6Q8ES | |
| CrossMark / Responsiveness | |
| Acer Aspire Vero AV14-51-72DL | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1255U, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs (1117 - 1434, n=9) | |
| Average of class Office (258 - 2017, n=86, last 2 years) | |
| HP ProBook 440 G9-5Y3Z3EA | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 14 G4 21DK0004GE | |
| HP ProBook 445 G8-3Z6Q8ES | |
| PCMark 10 Score | 5325 points | |
Help | ||
| AIDA64 / Memory Copy | |
| Acer Aspire Vero AV14-51-72DL | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1255U (22846 - 67017, n=10) | |
| Average of class Office (7158 - 108783, n=90, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 14 G4 21DK0004GE | |
| HP ProBook 440 G9-5Y3Z3EA | |
| HP ProBook 445 G8-3Z6Q8ES | |
| AIDA64 / Memory Read | |
| Acer Aspire Vero AV14-51-72DL | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1255U (22877 - 67398, n=10) | |
| Average of class Office (7325 - 127282, n=90, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 14 G4 21DK0004GE | |
| HP ProBook 445 G8-3Z6Q8ES | |
| HP ProBook 440 G9-5Y3Z3EA | |
| AIDA64 / Memory Write | |
| Acer Aspire Vero AV14-51-72DL | |
| Average of class Office (7579 - 117935, n=90, last 2 years) | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1255U (22883 - 65839, n=10) | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 14 G4 21DK0004GE | |
| HP ProBook 445 G8-3Z6Q8ES | |
| HP ProBook 440 G9-5Y3Z3EA | |
| AIDA64 / Memory Latency | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 14 G4 21DK0004GE | |
| Acer Aspire Vero AV14-51-72DL | |
| Average of class Office (6.9 - 185.2, n=89, last 2 years) | |
| HP ProBook 445 G8-3Z6Q8ES | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1255U (76 - 163.2, n=10) | |
| HP ProBook 440 G9-5Y3Z3EA | |
* ... smaller is better
DPC latencies
Mass storage
Samsung's M.2 SSD, which is connected at 30 Gbit/s, performs below its capabilities. It can only reach 3,000 MB/s for a short time in the endurance test, which is close to the possible maximum. It then gets too warm, and throttles read speeds. However, this behavior should not have much effect in normal use.
On a positive note, a second slot is free for storage expansion. An M.2-2280 SSD can also be used instead of a WWAN module.
* ... smaller is better
Disk Throttling: DiskSpd Read Loop, Queue Depth 8
| 3DMark 11 Performance | 5328 points | |
| 3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score | 15921 points | |
| 3DMark Fire Strike Score | 2844 points | |
Help | ||
| low | med. | high | ultra | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Witcher 3 (2015) | 47 | 34 | 17 | 9 |
| Dota 2 Reborn (2015) | 95.3 | 35.3 | 33.8 | 32.3 |
| Final Fantasy XV Benchmark (2018) | 25 | 13.6 | 10 | |
| X-Plane 11.11 (2018) | 37.7 | 34.8 | 31 |
Emissions and energy: Silent operation with the HP ProBook 440 G9
The ProBook remains quiet in battery mode as well as when connected to the power supply. It is also less demanding under load in terms of energy consumption.
We observe only a perceptible noise in the background, if the fan turns on during higher load. Speed changes are not unpleasantly noticeable.
Surface warming is not noticeable in normal use. Our measurements show an increase of just 5 °C in surface temperatures compared to the surroundings at low load. At maximum load, it is 15 °C but only near the CPU area. The palm rests in particular only warm up slightly.
The power consumption without load seems a bit too high. Despite featuring an efficient CPU and a less demanding display, at least 5 W are always consumed.
For simple tasks, such as web surfing, the Core i7 in the ProBook hardly has to exert itself. This results in an at least acceptable run time of almost 6 hours despite the small battery.
However, the competition with similar capacities clearly manages more in this regard. The Lenovo ThinkBook 15 G4 with the slightly more powerful AMD Ryzen 5 5625U can surf for more than 2 hours longer.
Noise Level
| Idle |
| 27 / 27 / 27 dB(A) |
| Load |
| 31.5 / 34.9 dB(A) |
 | ||
30 dB silent 40 dB(A) audible 50 dB(A) loud |
||
min:  , med:  , max:  Earthworks M23R, Arta (15 cm distance) environment noise: 27 dB(A) | ||