Review HP EliteBook 850 G1-H5G34ET Notebook

Let's start with the obvious innovation of the 850 G1: The new and smaller case. Even though we measure 1.97 kilograms (~4.3 pounds) and therefore around 100 grams (~0.2 pounds) more than advertised (probably because of the heavier HDD), it is a very appealing case with a height of just 21 millimeters (~0.8 inches). HP itself calls it "Ultrabook qualified", but not all configurations can have this title.

Thanks to the excessive use of light metals like aluminum and magnesium, the forced diet does not have negative impacts on the stability of the case. Even high pressure only results in minimal twisting, and the same applies for concentrated pressure. The matte and polished metals also provide a convenient and easy to clean surface at the same time, which supports the premium demand of the EliteBook.

Other positive aspects are the very sturdy display frame that is secured by two massive hinges. Even though the notebook can be opened with just one hand, the hinges have no problem keeping the display in position if there are any vibrations. According to HP, the 850 G1 is also supposed to meet the requirements of the military standard MIL-STD-810G, which specifies the resistance against humidity, extreme temperatures and other environmental influences. Amongst others there is a rubber lip around the display frame – this prevents dust from entering the space between the display and the keyboard during transport.

This leaves us with the build quality. Apart from some gaps that could be smaller under a critical view, the device does not reveal any weaknesses in this regard, either. All things considered an admirable performance that results in the very good rating.

The wireless specialist Broadcom provides the WLAN adaptor of the notebook. The model BCM43228 does not support the latest high-speed standard 802.11ac, only the older standards 802.11a/b/g/n. You can also use 2.4 as well as 5 GHz networks thanks to the dual-band technology and the maximum transfer rate is 300 Mbps (2x2 Dual-Stream). Our inexpensive test router (o2 Box 4421) did not work perfectly with the Broadcom module and did not manage more than 65 Mbps. Range and connection stability left a better impression, but the performance was still average. 

While WLAN and Bluetooth 4.0 are standard in all configurations, WWAN is only offered as an option in some configurations. According to HP, you can use both HSPA+ and LTE versions, but neither is currently available in Germany.

Despite the low resolution of just 0.9 megapixels, the integrated webcam does produce usable pictures and videos. We are especially surprised by the comparatively low picture noise – at least in comparison with the competition, which is even worse. Also acceptable and sufficient for communication applications is the good voice quality of the array microphone.

Security 

Comprehensive security features cannot be omitted in a professional device, which is why the manufacturer placed great value on them. Besides the usual things like a fingerprint reader, SmartCard reader and TPM chip there are numerous software solutions: Password Manager, BIOS Protection, drive encryption and the Secure Erase tool are just a few of them. More information about the functionalities and the benefits of different security technologies can be found in a special article.

Accessories

The box of the notebook only reveals a 45-Watt power supply unit as well as a small package of brochures and several Windows and driver DVDs. The user can decide if he wants to use the current Windows 8 Pro (64-bit) instead of the preloaded Windows 7 Professional (64-bit) – however, you will need an external DVD drive or a prepared USB stick.

The system is surprisingly clean in terms of software; there are only some applications like PowerDVD or a webcam application besides the formerly mentioned security tools.

Maintenance

A screwdriver or other tools are not required to remove the bottom cover of the 850 G1. There is a simple sliding mechanism and other manufacturers should take it as an example. On the inside, we can find an empty slot for a second DDR3 module, one slot for M.2 SSDs (NGFF 2242) as well as an additional slot for WWAN cards – including the necessary antennas. Hats off! Hard drive (height of 7 millimeters) and battery are only secured by screws as well and are easy to replace, only the removal of the fan requires extensive dismantling. The CPU is soldered onto the mainboard, just like all ULV Haswells.

Warranty

An EliteBook is not a disposable product – and HP, similar to many rivals, grants a 3-year warranty. It can be extended or/and upgraded for an additional charge; the actual price depends on the package. Without any extras, you should calculate around 130 Euros (~$180) for every additional year.

Finally, we have a look at the formerly mentioned viewing angle stability, which is not really a strong suit of the TN panel. Even small vertical changes quickly result in brightness changes and fine contrast differences cannot be seen with an angle of around 20 degrees. The stability is a bit better horizontally, but it still cannot keep up with an IPS panel.

Since Broadwell will probably be delayed until the fourth quarter of 2014, Haswell remains the fastest Intel chip for the foreseeable future – there won't be any updates apart from some minor clock changes in the upcoming months. HP exclusively uses ULV chips with its EliteBook redesign, in this case the mainstream version Core i5-4200U. Despite the low TDP of just 15 Watts, the dual-core CPU runs with clocks between 1.6 and 2.6 GHz (Turbo Boost) and supports the familiar Hyperthreading to execute four threads simultaneously.

HP also uses the integrated HD Graphics 4400 of the processor, which has 20 Execution units (EUs) with 200 up to 1,000 MHz. There are also configurations with a dedicated AMD Radeon HD 8750M (GDDR5 version); we will assess the additional performance later in this review.

Similar to Lenovo and Dell, HP is not very generous in terms of memory and storage configuration in the entry-level configuration. Our EliteBook only has a meager 4 GB of RAM as well as a 500 GB hard drive. The frugal DDR3L-1600 memory is provided by one single module, which makes upgrading easier, but also affects the GPU performance at the same time – but more on that later.

Using frugal ULV CPUs with a lower clock obviously affects the performance. The Core i5-4200U can use its maximum Turbo Boost all the time – 2.3 GHz under maximum load, 2.6 GHz when you stress one core – but the performance still cannot keep up with the predecessor from 2012. The Core i7-3520M of the old review unit has an advantage of around 30% in Cinebench R11.5, but the TDP is also more than twice as high in return. The gap to Dell's full business notebook Latitude E6540, which is available with powerful quad-core processors, is even bigger.

This means the performance of the EliteBook is comparable to less powerful notebooks. 14-inch devices like the Lenovo ThinkPad T440s or Latitude E7440 are direct rivals to the smaller EliteBook 840 G1 (review will follow soon), but they are on the same level with the 850 G1 in terms of hardware equipment and performance. The two more expensive CPUs, Core i5-4300U and Core i7-4600U, should only be around 10% and 20% faster at best.

It is annoying that the manufacturer decided to throttle the CPU to 1.6 GHz on battery power. The performance suffers accordingly by around 30-40%. This is slightly slower than a Core i3-3217U.

Instead of an SSD or at least an SSHD, our review unit is only equipped with a conventional hard drive, more precisely a Hitachi Travelstar Z7K500. At least it is one of the faster drives with 7,200 rpm, 32 MB cache and sequential transfer rates of around 107 MB/s in HD Tune. The access time of 16.2 milliseconds is not bad, either – at least if you do not compare it with the fast flash memory (0.1 milliseconds and less). Information about the integration of an SSD can be found in the Maintenance section.

Neither the HD Graphics 4400 nor the EliteBook were designed for gamers, so we will just have a quick look at the gaming performance. Current titles usually only run with low settings and 1024x768 pixels, but even then there can be dropped frames in demanding sequences. This should however not be a problem for the customers and it is powerful enough for casual games during lunchtime.

We can dispel any concerns that HP accepts high case and hardware temperatures to keep the noise down. Even maximum load does not result in average surface temperatures above 35 - 36 °C (95-96.8 °F); the 40 °C (104 °F) mark is only exceeded around the fan exhaust. Using the notebook on your lap is therefore no problem.

The device obviously benefits from the frugal Haswell processor; the big chassis can easily dissipate the resulting heat (TDP of 15 Watts). We can measure an uncritical core temperature of just 66 °C (150.8 °F) for the Core i5-4200U after one hour Prime95 and FurMark – throttling should therefore not be a problem, even on very hot summer days. The GPU can also maintain its maximum Turbo clock of 1,000 MHz, while the CPU runs at 100 MHz above the nominal frequency at 1.7 GHz.

HP decided to make a radical new beginning with the EliteBook 850 G1 – it remains to be if the customers will reward this courage. Instead of hardware that is more powerful, you get an increased mobility: Weight and battery runtimes have been significantly improved compared to the EliteBook 8570p. Nothing changed in regard to the excellent quality of the case; the light metal chassis can still convince us with an excellent stability and accurate build quality.

Users will however have to make some sacrifices. The lower power consumption and heat emissions of the processor are combined with decreased performance, even though it is still more than sufficient for most tasks in practice. You can also get a configuration with a dedicated AMD GPU if you have more demanding 3D applications and you can get SSDs as well as more memory for an additional charge. You can even replace many components by yourself to save some money and adjust the device to your needs.

The 850 G1 can meet the business requirements with its comprehensive security features, low emissions and high-quality input devices. The latter could be improved in the details, for instance, the bouncing keyboard or the clattering touchpad buttons. Another issue that requires some attention is the visible panel flickering with reduced brightness settings.

All in all, we think that the advantages outweigh the drawbacks and we can recommend the EliteBook. 1,000 Euros (~$1387) for the entry-level configuration might be quite a lot at first, but the competition is not much cheaper, either. A less expensive alternative would be the Lenovo ThinkPad S540, which is designed for semi-professional users.