HP ZBook Ultra G1a 14 review: Powerful MacBook Pro alternative for work and game
AMD Ryzen AI Max is no joke.
HP weren't exaggerating when they said their latest ZBook would be the "world's fastest 14-inch workstation PC". The Ryzen AI Max+ 395 runs well on specialized desktops and mini PCs, but it's even more impressive on a thin-and-light 14-inch form factor.Allen Ngo 👁 Published 🇫🇷 🇪🇸 ...
Verdict — AMD Pulls Its Weight
The ZBook Ultra G1a 14 is only made possible by the unique Ryzen AI Max series. The specialized Zen 5 CPU integrates Radeon 8060S graphics and up to 128 GB of RAM for a very high level of performance considering the 14-inch form factor. Performance-per-volume is dense and easily the strongest advantage of the model. The impressive 120 Hz OLED touchscreen and professional ZBook design round out the package well.
Condensing so much performance inside such a small package has its disadvantages. RAM is fixed with no ECC support, storage is limited to a single drive, and battery life is a bit short for the size category. Overall performance is reduced when running on batteries while the AC adapter is larger than expected because of the demanding internals.
Professionals who want a travel-friendly 14-inch workhorse without sacrificing too much performance will find the ZBook Ultra G1a 14 to be a top option. For anything more powerful, users would have to start looking at 15-inch or larger alternatives with RTX 4000 Ada or higher graphics.
Pros
Cons
Price and Availability
HP is now shipping the ZBook Ultra G1a 14 for $4000 as configured in this review.
- $26.99JUYOON 65W Car auto Travel dc Charger for HP elitebook 630 640 650 660 830 840 850 860 g9 g10 g11 Flip Ultra X G1i G1a probook 440 450 460 g11 g10 HP 65W USB-C Auto Adapter 5TQ76AA
- $1,488.00HP EliteBook Ultra 14 inch G1q Notebook AI PC, Touch Screen, Win 11 Pro, Qualcomm Snapdragon, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, 2.2K
Not to be confused with the office-oriented EliteBook X G1a 14, the workstation-oriented ZBook Ultra G1a 14 is one of the first laptops to sport AMD's Ryzen AI Max+ Pro 395 processor with integrated Radeon 8060S graphics. It's also notable for including 128 GB of fast LPDDR5X-8533 RAM which is unheard of for a 14-inch workstation. The model differs from the ZBook Firefly 14 which is slightly larger and features only Intel and Nvidia options.
Our test unit is a high-end configuration with the Ryzen AI Max+ Pro 395 processor, Radeon 8060S GPU, and 2.8K OLED 120 Hz touchscreen for approximately $4000 retail. Lesser SKUs may ship with the non-Pro Ryzen AI Max 380, Radeon 8040S, or 1200p IPS display for lower starting prices.
Alternatives to the ZBook Ultra G1a 14 include other 14-inch professional laptops like the Dell Precision 5490, the ThinkPad P14 series, or the MacBook Pro 14.
More HP reviews:
Specifications
Case
External features and dimensions are almost 1:1 with the EliteBook X G1a 14. Both models even share the same ports, keyboard, clickpad size, and Poly Studio quad speakers. Perhaps the easiest way to distinguish between the ZBook model and the EliteBook model is the darker gray tone of the ZBook.
Connectivity
Communication
Webcam
A 5 MP webcam with IR and physical shutter come standard.
Maintenance
Servicing requires removing just four Phillips screws from the bottom panel. Upgrades are otherwise limited as the RAM and WLAN are soldered. There is no space for a second SSD.
Sustainability
HP integrates 80 percent recycled aluminum, 65 percent recycled plastic, 30 percent recycled ocean-bound plastic, 50 percent recycled copper, and 20 percent recycled cooking oil for different components of the model during manufacturing. Meanwhile, the packaging is 100 percent sustainability sourced with only a bit of plastic wrapping around the AC adapter.
Accessories And Warranty
There are no extras in the retail box other than the AC adapter and paperwork. A three-year manufacturer warranty comes standard which is to be expected from a high-end ZBook model.
Input Devices
Keyboard And Touchpad
The typing experience is similar to the EliteBook X G1a 14 which isn't a bad thing as we generally find the keyboards on HP Elite models to be some of the best on any professional laptop. The Space key, however, feels strangely softer and quieter than the rest of the keyboard while the arrow keys are still as cramped as ever. They're slight drawbacks on an otherwise comfortable layout.
Display
The OLED touchscreen supports 120 Hz and comes well-calibrated against the P3 standard. It's not particularly bright, however, at just 400 nits maximum compared to over 600 nits or 450 on the MacBook Pro 14 or Book Firefly 14 G11, respectively.
HDR and adaptive sync are not supported.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 99 %
Center on Battery: 384.7 cd/m²
Contrast: ∞:1 (Black: 0 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 3.36 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.86, calibrated: 0.65
ΔE Greyscale 1 | 0.5-98 Ø5.1
95.6% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
100% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
99.7% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.26
| HP ZBook Ultra G1a 14 Samsung SDC41B3, OLED, 2880x1800, 14", 120 Hz | HP ZBook Firefly 14 G11 AUO6DA8, IPS, 2560x1600, 14", 120 Hz | Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 21NS0010GE ATNA40YK20-0, OLED, 2880x1800, 14", 120 Hz | Dell Precision 5000 5490 AU Optronics B140QAN, IPS, 2560x1600, 14", 60 Hz | Asus ExpertBook P5 P5405-NZ0102X NE140QDM-NX4, IPS LED, 2560x1600, 14", 144 Hz | Apple MacBook Pro 14 2024 M4 Pro MiniLED, 3024x1964, 14.2", 120 Hz | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display | -3% | 1% | -12% | -19% | -2% | |
| Display P3 Coverage | 99.7 | 98.9 -1% | 99.5 0% | 79.7 -20% | 70.8 -29% | 99.6 0% |
| sRGB Coverage | 100 | 99.9 0% | 100 0% | 100 0% | 98 -2% | 100 0% |
| AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 95.6 | 86.6 -9% | 97.1 2% | 79.5 -17% | 71.6 -25% | 89 -7% |
| Response Times | -966% | -98% | -4331% | -2990% | -4060% | |
| Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 0.94 ? | 12.3 ? -1209% | 2.4 ? -155% | 52.3 ? -5464% | 36.3 ? -3762% | 77.2 ? -8113% |
| Response Time Black / White * | 1.01 ? | 8.3 ? -722% | 1.9 ? -88% | 33.3 ? -3197% | 23.4 ? -2217% | 71.6 ? -6989% |
| PWM Frequency | 492.6 | 240 ? -51% | 14880 ? 2921% | |||
| Screen | 20% | -118% | -2% | -97% | 50% | |
| Brightness middle | 384.7 | 554.1 44% | 407 6% | 485.1 26% | 457 19% | 638 66% |
| Brightness | 387 | 540 40% | 410 6% | 471 22% | 457 18% | 621 60% |
| Brightness Distribution | 99 | 93 -6% | 99 0% | 90 -9% | 95 -4% | 95 -4% |
| Black Level * | 0.58 | 0.38 | 0.12 | |||
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 3.36 | 2.54 24% | 4.9 -46% | 2.15 36% | 4.9 -46% | 0.6 82% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 6.45 | 4.99 23% | 9.1 -41% | 5.39 16% | 8.5 -32% | 1.4 78% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated * | 0.65 | 0.56 14% | 4.7 -623% | 0.67 -3% | 1.7 -162% | |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 1 | 1 -0% | 2.3 -130% | 2 -100% | 5.7 -470% | 0.8 20% |
| Gamma | 2.26 97% | 2.3 96% | 2.26 97% | 2.3 96% | 2.25 98% | 2.22 99% |
| CCT | 6380 102% | 6556 99% | 6310 103% | 6826 95% | 7647 85% | 6430 101% |
| Contrast | 955 | 1277 | 3808 | |||
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | -316% /
-150% | -72% /
-86% | -1448% /
-726% | -1035% /
-559% | -1337% /
-991% |
* ... smaller is better
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1.01 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 0.46 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 0.55 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 3 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (20.7 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 0.94 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 0.53 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 0.41 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.165 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 2 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (32.4 ms). | ||
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM detected | 492.6 Hz Amplitude: 43 % |  | |
The display backlight flickers at 492.6 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) . The frequency of 492.6 Hz is relatively high, so most users sensitive to PWM should not notice any flickering. However, there are reports that some users are still sensitive to PWM at 500 Hz and above, so be aware. In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 8471 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured. | |||
Performance
Testing Conditions
We set both Windows and MyHP to High Performance mode prior to running the benchmarks below.
The soldered RAM is configurable between system RAM and video RAM as detailed here.
Processor
Raw processor performance with the Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 395 is one of the fastest of any 14-inch workstation PC, if not *the* fastest. It outperforms the Core Ultra 9 185H in the competing Precision 5470 by ~80 percent in multi-threaded workloads while being neck-to-neck with the 14-core Apple M4 Pro. Single-thread performance is nonetheless average and so it still loses out to the Apple flagship in certain conditions.
Performance sustainability under load is excellent and better than expected from a 14-inch form factor.
Cinebench R15 Multi Loop
Cinebench 2024: CPU Multi Core | CPU Single Core
Cinebench R23: Multi Core | Single Core
Cinebench R20: CPU (Multi Core) | CPU (Single Core)
Cinebench R15: CPU Multi 64Bit | CPU Single 64Bit
Blender: v2.79 BMW27 CPU
7-Zip 18.03: 7z b 4 | 7z b 4 -mmt1
Geekbench 6.4: Multi-Core | Single-Core
Geekbench 5.5: Multi-Core | Single-Core
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2: 4k Preset
LibreOffice : 20 Documents To PDF
R Benchmark 2.5: Overall mean
| Cinebench 2024 / CPU Single Core | |
| Apple MacBook Pro 14 2024 M4 Pro | |
| Xiaomi RedmiBook Pro 14 2025 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 21NS0010GE | |
| Asus ROG Flow Z13 GZ302EA-RU073W | |
| Lenovo Yoga Pro 7 14ASP G9 | |
| HP ZBook Ultra G1a 14 | |
| Average AMD Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 395 (n=1) | |
| Asus Zenbook 14 OLED UM3406HA | |
| Lenovo Yoga 7 2-in-1 14AHP9 Arctic Grey | |
Cinebench 2024: CPU Multi Core | CPU Single Core
Cinebench R23: Multi Core | Single Core
Cinebench R20: CPU (Multi Core) | CPU (Single Core)
Cinebench R15: CPU Multi 64Bit | CPU Single 64Bit
Blender: v2.79 BMW27 CPU
7-Zip 18.03: 7z b 4 | 7z b 4 -mmt1
Geekbench 6.4: Multi-Core | Single-Core
Geekbench 5.5: Multi-Core | Single-Core
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2: 4k Preset
LibreOffice : 20 Documents To PDF
R Benchmark 2.5: Overall mean
* ... 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 | |
| HP ZBook Ultra G1a 14 | |
| Average AMD Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 395 | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5490 | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G11 | |
| Asus ExpertBook P5 P5405-NZ0102X | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 21NS0010GE | |
| AIDA64 / FP32 Ray-Trace | |
| HP ZBook Ultra G1a 14 | |
| Average AMD Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 395 (n=1) | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5490 | |
| Asus ExpertBook P5 P5405-NZ0102X | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G11 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 21NS0010GE | |
| AIDA64 / FPU Julia | |
| HP ZBook Ultra G1a 14 | |
| Average AMD Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 395 (n=1) | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5490 | |
| Asus ExpertBook P5 P5405-NZ0102X | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 21NS0010GE | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G11 | |
| AIDA64 / CPU SHA3 | |
| HP ZBook Ultra G1a 14 | |
| Average AMD Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 395 (n=1) | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5490 | |
| Asus ExpertBook P5 P5405-NZ0102X | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 21NS0010GE | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G11 | |
| AIDA64 / CPU Queen | |
| HP ZBook Ultra G1a 14 | |
| Average AMD Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 395 (n=1) | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5490 | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G11 | |
| Asus ExpertBook P5 P5405-NZ0102X | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 21NS0010GE | |
| AIDA64 / FPU SinJulia | |
| HP ZBook Ultra G1a 14 | |
| Average AMD Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 395 (n=1) | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5490 | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G11 | |
| Asus ExpertBook P5 P5405-NZ0102X | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 21NS0010GE | |
| AIDA64 / FPU Mandel | |
| HP ZBook Ultra G1a 14 | |
| Average AMD Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 395 (n=1) | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5490 | |
| Asus ExpertBook P5 P5405-NZ0102X | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 21NS0010GE | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G11 | |
| AIDA64 / CPU AES | |
| HP ZBook Ultra G1a 14 | |
| Average AMD Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 395 (n=1) | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5490 | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G11 | |
| Asus ExpertBook P5 P5405-NZ0102X | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 21NS0010GE | |
| AIDA64 / CPU ZLib | |
| HP ZBook Ultra G1a 14 | |
| Average AMD Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 395 (n=1) | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5490 | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G11 | |
| Asus ExpertBook P5 P5405-NZ0102X | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 21NS0010GE | |
| AIDA64 / FP64 Ray-Trace | |
| HP ZBook Ultra G1a 14 | |
| Average AMD Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 395 (n=1) | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5490 | |
| Asus ExpertBook P5 P5405-NZ0102X | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G11 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 21NS0010GE | |
| AIDA64 / CPU PhotoWorxx | |
| HP ZBook Ultra G1a 14 | |
| Average AMD Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 395 (n=1) | |
| Asus ExpertBook P5 P5405-NZ0102X | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 21NS0010GE | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5490 | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G11 | |
Stress Test
When initiating Prime95 stress, the CPU would boost to 3.3 GHz and 81 W for just a few seconds before falling and stabilizing at 3.1 GHz, 66 W, and 71 C. Core temperature would peak at ~70 C when running demanding loads which is lower than expected given the relatively high power consumption and fast performance for the size.
| Average CPU Clock (GHz) | GPU Clock (MHz) | Average CPU Temperature (°C) | |
| System Idle | -- | -- | 37 |
| Prime95 Stress | 3.1 | -- | 71 |
| Prime95 + FurMark Stress | 2.2 | 670 | 61 |
| Cyberpunk 2077 Stress | 0.9 | 2107 | 64 |
System Performance
CrossMark: Overall | Productivity | Creativity | Responsiveness
WebXPRT 3: Overall
WebXPRT 4: Overall
Mozilla Kraken 1.1: Total
| PCMark 10 / Score | |
| HP ZBook Ultra G1a 14 | |
| Average AMD Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 395, AMD Radeon RX 8060S (n=1) | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5490 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 21NS0010GE | |
| Asus ExpertBook P5 P5405-NZ0102X | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G11 | |
| PCMark 10 / Essentials | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5490 | |
| HP ZBook Ultra G1a 14 | |
| Average AMD Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 395, AMD Radeon RX 8060S (n=1) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 21NS0010GE | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G11 | |
| Asus ExpertBook P5 P5405-NZ0102X | |
| PCMark 10 / Productivity | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G11 | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5490 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 21NS0010GE | |
| Asus ExpertBook P5 P5405-NZ0102X | |
| HP ZBook Ultra G1a 14 | |
| Average AMD Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 395, AMD Radeon RX 8060S (n=1) | |
| PCMark 10 / Digital Content Creation | |
| HP ZBook Ultra G1a 14 | |
| Average AMD Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 395, AMD Radeon RX 8060S (n=1) | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5490 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 21NS0010GE | |
| Asus ExpertBook P5 P5405-NZ0102X | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G11 | |
| CrossMark / Overall | |
| Apple MacBook Pro 14 2024 M4 Pro | |
| HP ZBook Ultra G1a 14 | |
| Average AMD Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 395, AMD Radeon RX 8060S (n=1) | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5490 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 21NS0010GE | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G11 | |
| Asus ExpertBook P5 P5405-NZ0102X | |
| CrossMark / Productivity | |
| Apple MacBook Pro 14 2024 M4 Pro | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 21NS0010GE | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5490 | |
| HP ZBook Ultra G1a 14 | |
| Average AMD Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 395, AMD Radeon RX 8060S (n=1) | |
| Asus ExpertBook P5 P5405-NZ0102X | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G11 | |
| CrossMark / Creativity | |
| Apple MacBook Pro 14 2024 M4 Pro | |
| HP ZBook Ultra G1a 14 | |
| Average AMD Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 395, AMD Radeon RX 8060S (n=1) | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5490 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 21NS0010GE | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G11 | |
| Asus ExpertBook P5 P5405-NZ0102X | |
| CrossMark / Responsiveness | |
| Apple MacBook Pro 14 2024 M4 Pro | |
| HP ZBook Ultra G1a 14 | |
| Average AMD Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 395, AMD Radeon RX 8060S (n=1) | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5490 | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G11 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 21NS0010GE | |
| Asus ExpertBook P5 P5405-NZ0102X | |
| WebXPRT 3 / Overall | |
| Apple MacBook Pro 14 2024 M4 Pro | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G11 | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5490 | |
| Asus ExpertBook P5 P5405-NZ0102X | |
| HP ZBook Ultra G1a 14 | |
| Average AMD Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 395, AMD Radeon RX 8060S (n=1) | |
| WebXPRT 4 / Overall | |
| Apple MacBook Pro 14 2024 M4 Pro | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 21NS0010GE | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5490 | |
| Asus ExpertBook P5 P5405-NZ0102X | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G11 | |
| HP ZBook Ultra G1a 14 | |
| Average AMD Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 395, AMD Radeon RX 8060S (n=1) | |
| Mozilla Kraken 1.1 / Total | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5490 | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G11 | |
| Asus ExpertBook P5 P5405-NZ0102X | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 21NS0010GE | |
| HP ZBook Ultra G1a 14 | |
| Average AMD Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 395, AMD Radeon RX 8060S (n=1) | |
| Apple MacBook Pro 14 2024 M4 Pro | |
* ... smaller is better
| PCMark 10 Score | 8011 points | |
Help | ||
| AIDA64 / Memory Copy | |
| HP ZBook Ultra G1a 14 | |
| Average AMD Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 395 (n=1) | |
| Asus ExpertBook P5 P5405-NZ0102X | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 21NS0010GE | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5490 | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G11 | |
| AIDA64 / Memory Read | |
| HP ZBook Ultra G1a 14 | |
| Average AMD Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 395 (n=1) | |
| Asus ExpertBook P5 P5405-NZ0102X | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 21NS0010GE | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5490 | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G11 | |
| AIDA64 / Memory Write | |
| HP ZBook Ultra G1a 14 | |
| Average AMD Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 395 (n=1) | |
| Asus ExpertBook P5 P5405-NZ0102X | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 21NS0010GE | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5490 | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G11 | |
| AIDA64 / Memory Latency | |
| HP ZBook Ultra G1a 14 | |
| Average AMD Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 395 (n=1) | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5490 | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G11 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 21NS0010GE | |
| Asus ExpertBook P5 P5405-NZ0102X | |
* ... smaller is better
DPC Latency
LatencyMon shows only minor DPC issues when opening multiple browser tabs of our homepage. 4K video playback at 60 FPS is otherwise smooth with no dropped frames recorded.
Interestingly, an issue arises when playing 4K60 content while LatencyMon is running simultaneously. Dropped frames would skyrocket and the system would become sluggish for seemingly no reason. Stopping LatencyMon would resolve the issue. The program reports a potential issue related to the DirectX kernal when the stutters begin.
Storage Devices
The WD SN810 PCIe4 NVMe SSD in the ZBook Ultra G1a 14 does not suffer from any of the same performance throttling issues we observed on the HP ZBook Firefly 14 G11.
| Drive Performance Rating - Percent | |
| HP ZBook Ultra G1a 14 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 21NS0010GE | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5490 | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G11 | |
| Asus ExpertBook P5 P5405-NZ0102X | |
* ... smaller is better
Disk Throttling: DiskSpd Read Loop, Queue Depth 8
GPU Performance
The Radeon RX 8060S lies in between the discrete RTX 3000 Ada and RTX 4000 Ada in terms of raw graphics potential. When considering that the AMD solution is integrated, that's quite the accomplishment especially from a performance-per-volume or performance-per-watt perspective. There are currently no major 14-inch workstations with RTX 4000 Ada options as far as we know which backs HP's claim of "world's fastest 14-inch workstation".
| Power Profile | Graphics Score | Physics Score | Combined Score |
| Performance Mode | 27659 | 32559 | 10555 |
| Balanced Mode | 25972 (-6%) | 31510 (-3%) | 9739 (-8%) |
| Battery Power | 20915 (-24%) | 25705 (-21%) | 6915 (-35%) |
Unfortunately, performance is reduced by up to 25 to 35 percent if running on battery power even when set to High Performance mode according to our Fire Strike results in the table above.
| 3DMark 11 Performance | 31410 points | |
| 3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score | 66462 points | |
| 3DMark Fire Strike Score | 24273 points | |
| 3DMark Time Spy Score | 10303 points | |
Help | ||
* ... smaller is better
Gaming Performance
The integrated Radeon 8060S most closely resembles the discrete GeForce RTX 4050 when it comes to running games. Keep in mind that gaming isn't a primary function of the ZBook.
| F1 22 | |
| 1280x720 Ultra Low Preset AA:T AF:16x | |
| HP ZBook Ultra G1a 14 | |
| Average AMD Radeon RX 8060S (n=1) | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5490 | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G11 | |
| HP EliteBook x360 1040 G11 | |
| 1920x1080 Low Preset AA:T AF:16x | |
| HP ZBook Ultra G1a 14 | |
| Average AMD Radeon RX 8060S (n=1) | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5490 | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G11 | |
| HP EliteBook x360 1040 G11 | |
| 1920x1080 Medium Preset AA:T AF:16x | |
| HP ZBook Ultra G1a 14 | |
| Average AMD Radeon RX 8060S (n=1) | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5490 | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G11 | |
| HP EliteBook x360 1040 G11 | |
| 1920x1080 High Preset AA:T AF:16x | |
| HP ZBook Ultra G1a 14 | |
| Average AMD Radeon RX 8060S (n=1) | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5490 | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G11 | |
| HP EliteBook x360 1040 G11 | |
| 1920x1080 Ultra High Preset AA:T AF:16x | |
| HP ZBook Ultra G1a 14 | |
| Average AMD Radeon RX 8060S (n=1) | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5490 | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G11 | |
| Tiny Tina's Wonderlands | |
| 1280x720 Lowest Preset (DX12) | |
| HP ZBook Ultra G1a 14 | |
| Average AMD Radeon RX 8060S (n=1) | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G11 | |
| HP EliteBook x360 1040 G11 | |
| 1920x1080 Low Preset (DX12) | |
| Average AMD Radeon RX 8060S (n=1) | |
| HP ZBook Ultra G1a 14 | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5490 | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G11 | |
| HP EliteBook x360 1040 G11 | |
| 1920x1080 Medium Preset (DX12) | |
| HP ZBook Ultra G1a 14 | |
| Average AMD Radeon RX 8060S (n=1) | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5490 | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G11 | |
| HP EliteBook x360 1040 G11 | |
| 1920x1080 High Preset (DX12) | |
| HP ZBook Ultra G1a 14 | |
| Average AMD Radeon RX 8060S (n=1) | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5490 | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G11 | |
| HP EliteBook x360 1040 G11 | |
| 1920x1080 Badass Preset (DX12) | |
| HP ZBook Ultra G1a 14 | |
| Average AMD Radeon RX 8060S (n=1) | |
| Dell Precision 5000 5490 | |
| HP ZBook Firefly 14 G11 | |
| HP EliteBook x360 1040 G11 | |
Cyberpunk 2077 ultra FPS Chart
| low | med. | high | ultra | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GTA V (2015) | 184.4 | 177.7 | 164.3 | 86.6 |
| Dota 2 Reborn (2015) | 210 | 177.2 | 147.7 | 133.1 |
| Final Fantasy XV Benchmark (2018) | 192.9 | 122.6 | 84.8 | |
| X-Plane 11.11 (2018) | 109.5 | 66.4 | 57.2 | |
| Far Cry 5 (2018) | 116 | 96 | 95 | 92 |
| Strange Brigade (2018) | 491 | 218 | 188.6 | 171 |
| Tiny Tina's Wonderlands (2022) | 220.5 | 162.3 | 110.2 | 90 |
| F1 22 (2022) | 250 | 239 | 185.1 | 57.4 |
| Baldur's Gate 3 (2023) | 139.6 | 118.3 | 101.2 | 99.4 |
| Cyberpunk 2077 2.2 Phantom Liberty (2023) | 135.4 | 111.5 | 90.2 | 80.7 |
| Monster Hunter Wilds (2025) | 55.8 | 47 | 34.5 |
Emissions
System Noise
The fans would remain quiet at around 28 dB(A) against a background of 24 dB(A) when running undemanding loads like Excel or browsers. However, they ramp up relatively quickly once higher loads are introduced to be as loud as the Precision 5490 at almost 50 dB(A).
Noise Level
| Idle |
| 23.9 / 23.9 / 26.8 dB(A) |
| Load |
| 42.2 / 49.2 dB(A) |
 | ||
30 dB silent 40 dB(A) audible 50 dB(A) loud |
||
min:  , med:  , max:  Earthworks M23R, Arta (15 cm distance) environment noise: 23.9 dB(A) | ||
| HP ZBook Ultra G1a 14 Radeon RX 8060S, Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 395, WDC PC SN810 2TB | HP ZBook Firefly 14 G11 RTX A500 Laptop GPU, Ultra 7 165H, Kioxia XG8 KXG80ZNV512G | Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 21NS0010GE Arc 140V, Core Ultra 7 258V, SK hynix PCB01 HFS001TFM9X179N GL | Dell Precision 5000 5490 NVIDIA RTX 3000 Ada Generation Laptop GPU, Ultra 9 185H, Kioxia XG8 KXG80ZNV1T02 | Asus ExpertBook P5 P5405-NZ0102X Arc 140V, Core Ultra 7 258V, Western Digital PC SN5000S SDEQNSJ-1T00 | Apple MacBook Pro 14 2024 M4 Pro M4 Pro 20-Core GPU, M4 Pro (14 cores), Apple SSD AP2048Z | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noise | 3% | 12% | 3% | 15% | 8% | |
| off / environment * | 23.9 | 24.3 -2% | 23.2 3% | 22.8 5% | 24.1 -1% | 23.9 -0% |
| Idle Minimum * | 23.9 | 24.6 -3% | 23.2 3% | 23.8 -0% | 24.1 -1% | 23.9 -0% |
| Idle Average * | 23.9 | 25.2 -5% | 23.2 3% | 23.8 -0% | 24.1 -1% | 23.9 -0% |
| Idle Maximum * | 26.8 | 26.8 -0% | 23.2 13% | 24.7 8% | 24.1 10% | 23.9 11% |
| Load Average * | 42.2 | 38.9 8% | 29.9 29% | 38.9 8% | 31.2 26% | 30.2 28% |
| Cyberpunk 2077 ultra * | 49.1 | 41.8 15% | 43.3 12% | 31.7 35% | 44.5 9% | |
| Load Maximum * | 49.2 | 45.8 7% | 40.5 18% | 51.4 -4% | 31.2 37% | 44.5 10% |
| Witcher 3 ultra * | 49.9 |
* ... smaller is better
Temperature
Average surface temperatures when running demanding loads are warmer than on the Dell Precision 5490 but cooler than on the MacBook Pro 14. While hot spots are toward the keyboard center, the palm rests can also become noticeably warmer due to the densely packed internals and small form factor.
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 41.4 °C / 107 F, compared to the average of 38.2 °C / 101 F, ranging from 22.2 to 69.8 °C for the class Workstation.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 36.6 °C / 98 F, compared to the average of 41.2 °C / 106 F
(±) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 32.5 °C / 91 F, compared to the device average of 32 °C / 90 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are reaching skin temperature as a maximum (32 °C / 89.6 F) and are therefore not hot.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 27.8 °C / 82 F (-4.2 °C / -7.6 F).
| HP ZBook Ultra G1a 14 AMD Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 395, AMD Radeon RX 8060S | HP ZBook Firefly 14 G11 Intel Core Ultra 7 165H, NVIDIA RTX A500 Laptop GPU | Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 21NS0010GE Intel Core Ultra 7 258V, Intel Arc Graphics 140V | Dell Precision 5000 5490 Intel Core Ultra 9 185H, NVIDIA RTX 3000 Ada Generation Laptop GPU | Asus ExpertBook P5 P5405-NZ0102X Intel Core Ultra 7 258V, Intel Arc Graphics 140V | Apple MacBook Pro 14 2024 M4 Pro Apple M4 Pro (14 cores), Apple M4 Pro 20-Core GPU | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heat | -2% | 6% | 2% | 8% | 9% | |
| Maximum Upper Side * | 41.4 | 42.8 -3% | 42.3 -2% | 43.2 -4% | 41.6 -0% | 47.3 -14% |
| Maximum Bottom * | 36.6 | 44 -20% | 40.1 -10% | 38.4 -5% | 43.2 -18% | 44.2 -21% |
| Idle Upper Side * | 34 | 30.6 10% | 27.3 20% | 31.6 7% | 25.7 24% | 22.1 35% |
| Idle Bottom * | 33.6 | 31.4 7% | 28.3 16% | 30.6 9% | 25.3 25% | 22.1 34% |
* ... smaller is better
Speakers
HP ZBook Ultra G1a 14 audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (88.7 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 11.8% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (11% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.5% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (3.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.4% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (10.4% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 6% of all tested devices in this class were better, 4% similar, 90% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 18%, worst was 35%
Compared to all devices tested
» 4% of all tested devices were better, 1% similar, 94% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
Apple MacBook Pro 16 2021 M1 Pro audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (84.7 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(+) | good bass - only 3.8% away from median
(+) | bass is linear (5.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 1.3% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (2.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 1.9% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (2.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (4.6% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 0% of all tested devices in this class were better, 0% similar, 100% 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, 100% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
Energy Management
Power Consumption
Fast performance don't come free as the HP can be quite demanding for a 14-inch form factor as exemplified by our comparison charts below. This is also evident by the chunky (~14 x 6.5 x 2.8 cm) 140 W USB-C AC adapter whereas most 14-inch laptops ship with smaller and lighter adapters.
| Off / Standby | 0.35 / 0.98 Watt |
| Idle | 6.9 / 7.7 / 14.7 Watt |
| Load |
83.3 / 126.3 Watt |
   
| |
Key:
min: ,
med: ,
max: Metrahit Energy | |
| HP ZBook Ultra G1a 14 Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 395, Radeon RX 8060S, WDC PC SN810 2TB, OLED, 2880x1800, 14" | HP ZBook Firefly 14 G11 Ultra 7 165H, RTX A500 Laptop GPU, Kioxia XG8 KXG80ZNV512G, IPS, 2560x1600, 14" | Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 21NS0010GE Core Ultra 7 258V, Arc 140V, SK hynix PCB01 HFS001TFM9X179N GL, OLED, 2880x1800, 14" | Dell Precision 5000 5490 Ultra 9 185H, NVIDIA RTX 3000 Ada Generation Laptop GPU, Kioxia XG8 KXG80ZNV1T02, IPS, 2560x1600, 14" | Asus ExpertBook P5 P5405-NZ0102X Core Ultra 7 258V, Arc 140V, Western Digital PC SN5000S SDEQNSJ-1T00, IPS LED, 2560x1600, 14" | Apple MacBook Pro 14 2024 M4 Pro M4 Pro (14 cores), M4 Pro 20-Core GPU, Apple SSD AP2048Z, MiniLED, 3024x1964, 14.2" | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | 12% | 53% | -32% | 40% | 19% | |
| Idle Minimum * | 6.9 | 6.6 4% | 4.7 32% | 11.1 -61% | 3.9 43% | 2.17 69% |
| Idle Average * | 7.7 | 12.7 -65% | 5.7 26% | 14.8 -92% | 8.9 -16% | 10.9 -42% |
| Idle Maximum * | 14.7 | 13.3 10% | 6.1 59% | 16.5 -12% | 9.6 35% | 11 25% |
| Load Average * | 83.3 | 67 20% | 29.8 64% | 70.1 16% | 43.4 48% | 74.3 11% |
| Cyberpunk 2077 ultra external monitor * | 110.5 | 58.1 47% | 34.1 69% | 41.8 62% | 80.5 27% | |
| Cyberpunk 2077 ultra * | 110.9 | 63.4 43% | 35.3 68% | 42.8 61% | ||
| Load Maximum * | 126.3 | 94.9 25% | 60.1 52% | 137.5 -9% | 64.1 49% | 98.1 22% |
| Witcher 3 ultra * | 93.1 |
* ... smaller is better
Power Consumption Cyberpunk / Stress Test
Power Consumption external Monitor
Battery Life
Overall runtimes are shorter than many 14-inch laptops due in part to the generally higher consumption levels as mentioned above.
| HP ZBook Ultra G1a 14 Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 395, Radeon RX 8060S, 74.5 Wh | HP ZBook Firefly 14 G11 Ultra 7 165H, RTX A500 Laptop GPU, 56 Wh | Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 21NS0010GE Core Ultra 7 258V, Arc 140V, 57 Wh | Dell Precision 5000 5490 Ultra 9 185H, NVIDIA RTX 3000 Ada Generation Laptop GPU, 72 Wh | Asus ExpertBook P5 P5405-NZ0102X Core Ultra 7 258V, Arc 140V, 63 Wh | Apple MacBook Pro 14 2024 M4 Pro M4 Pro (14 cores), M4 Pro 20-Core GPU, 72.6 Wh | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Runtime | 23% | 56% | 56% | 131% | 125% | |
| WiFi v1.3 | 421 | 517 23% | 658 56% | 658 56% | 973 131% | 947 125% |
| Cyberpunk 2077 ultra 150cd | 94 | |||||
| Load | 86 | 173 | ||||
| H.264 | 1186 |
Notebookcheck Rating
HP ZBook Ultra G1a 14
- 04/11/2025 v8
Allen Ngo
Total Sustainability Score: Potential Competitors in Comparison
Image | Model / Review | Price | Weight | Height | Display |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. 87.4%  | HP ZBook Ultra G1a 14 AMD Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 395 ⎘ AMD Radeon RX 8060S ⎘ 128 GB Memory, 2048 GB SSD | Amazon: 1. $1,099.00 HP ZBook 14 Firefly G11 (Lat... 2. $26.99 JUYOON 65W Car auto Travel d... 3. $1,488.00 HP EliteBook Ultra 14 inch G... List Price: 4000 USD | 1.6 kg | 18.5 mm | 14.00" 2880x1800 243 PPI OLED |
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The selection of devices to be reviewed is made by our editorial team. The test sample was provided to the author as a loan by the manufacturer or retailer for the purpose of this review. The lender had no influence on this review, nor did the manufacturer receive a copy of this review before publication. There was no obligation to publish this review. We never accept compensation or payment in return for our reviews. As an independent media company, Notebookcheck is not subjected to the authority of manufacturers, retailers or publishers.
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