A laptop for the elite

With our lives becoming more and more active, we often look for a computer that can keep up with our pace.

We want it to be easily transportable, to last us all day while offering good performance and, if possible, good video calls.

Well, HP checks several of those boxes with its EliteBook 1040 G11.

The characteristics of the HP EliteBook 1040 G11

So let’s dive into the characteristics of this computer that we were able to try for more than a month.

A clean design

Given that this is a laptop designed for the working world, it is not surprising that special attention has been paid to its design.

This has a clean and stylish look which already demonstrates all the professionalism of the machine.

Its aluminum finish allows it to be robust and elegant at the same time.

This also has an impact on the weight of the beast, as it tips the scales at just 2.2 pounds (1.18kg).

The touchpad, for its part, is a good size and offers superb responsiveness.

As for the keyboard, we are looking at a “chiclet” style keyboard with a thin key depth, but which allows it to be effective.

Furthermore, the keyboard is splash-resistant. Enough to avoid a panic attack if you lose water or coffee!

A screen without extravagance

The HP EliteBook 1040 G11 offers a 14-inch screen with a 16:10 ratio. This is practical for office software in particular.

What is also practical is the fact that the screen is touchscreen. There is even a pen that comes with the computer that we can use to take notes or sign documents.

To do this, you can rotate the screen 180 degrees.

As for the quality of the screen, it is an IPS panel with a resolution of 1920 x 1200. It’s good for work and ok for entertainment, but it’s not the most screen dazzling for these.

Especially since it has a maximum brightness of 400 nits. Fortunately, there is anti-reflective technology which means that we do not always need to push the brightness into the carpet.

Several ports at our disposal

Regarding the connectivity of the HP EliteBook 1040 G11, here are the ports that we find:

• 1 port HDMI 2.1
• 1 port USB-A 3.2
• 3 ports USB-C
• 1 Micro SD card
• 1 port audio Jack 3.5mm
• 1 Kensington Nano security port

Components more than sufficient, but frustrating

If we turn to performance, the HP EliteBook 1040 G11 is a computer designed for office tasks. In themselves, the components found under the hood are largely adequate to carry out any tasks.

The latter features either an Intel® Core™ Ultra 5 or 7 processor, depending on what you prefer. We also have the choice between 16Gb of RAM or 32Gb of Ram, but, storage-wise, we are limited to only 512 GB.

This last point is quite absurd given the asking price… If you want more space, you have to turn to an external hard drive or a cloud solution and therefore pay more.

Same thing for WiFi compatibility, while the HP EliteBook 1040 G11 is not compatible with WiFi, but with WiFi 6e.

For a computer qualified as elite, we would have appreciated maximizing our purchase by having WiFi 7 compatibility.

Ultra-long battery life boosted by AI

Fortunately, the HP EliteBook 1040 G11 redeems itself with its battery life.

Everything obviously depends on the use you make of it, but you can get more than 16 hours out of it if you limit yourself to work use. So watching hours of Netflix, let’s say.

This is partly explained by the neural processing unit (NPU) which, thanks to AI, makes it possible to better allocate computer resources.

This AI is also used for our various tasks thanks to CoPilot+ which can be run on the computer without the internet.

Finally, we can quickly recharge our computer while 30 minutes is enough to charge it by 50%.

Clear video calls with Poly

Obviously, as it is a computer geared towards the working world, you need to be able to make good video calls.

In this regard, the HP EliteBook 1040 G11 is doing well. Artificial Intelligence has something to do with it in improving the quality of the 5 Mpx camera.

This AI will allow automatic framing in particular, but also brightness.

But it is the presence of Poly expertise which above all allows us to make clear calls. Poly is a product line designed by HP that is specifically made for video calls.

Just like with the Poly Voyager Surround 80 UC headset, we benefit from the reduction of ambient noise and the correction of our voice when we speak.

Reinforced security

HP also offers a Wolf Pro Security version for its HP EliteBook 1040 G11.

What else does this version bring? Firstly, there is a dedicated security microprocessor which is physically isolated to protect the BIOS, the very foundation of the computer.

This therefore ensures that the computer is protected against modern threats and our documents are protected.

The computer can also lock automatically if you move away from it. When you come back, it wakes up, but you can also use the fingerprint reader.

Our opinion: is the HP EliteBook 1040 G11 a good buy?

The HP EliteBook 1040 G11 laptop checks many of the boxes you expect from a computer.

It is beautiful, it is easy to transport, the screen is quality, the performance is there, the call quality is very good and the icing on the cake: security is reinforced.

But all this comes crashing down when you look at the price. HP is asking no less than $2649…

Just with the fact that the computer is limited to 512GB of storage, this price is complete nonsense.

But hey, it’s also a price that’s difficult to justify when comparing it with the ASUS ExpertBook P5, another computer made for the work market.

ASUS offers a higher quality screen, 32 GB of RAM, 1 TB of storage and similar security features, but at a price of $1499.

Certainly the Asus computer does not have a touch screen, but that does not justify a difference of $1200 from HP.

In short, as its name implies, the HP EliteBook 1040 G11 is aimed at an elite who are ready to spend lavishly.

HP EliteBook 1040 G11

A computer for the elite

Points forts

• Design
• Touch screen
• port name
• Call quality
• Enhanced security

Reliable points

• The price
• Not WiFi 7 compatible
• Storage limited to 512GB

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