HP Elitebook Ultra G1q 14 Review: A Promising Start for Windows on ARM

Today, we’re diving into the HP EliteBook Ultra G1q 14, a business-oriented laptop powered by the Snapdragon X Elite X1E-78-100 SoC. Equipped with 16 GB of LPDDR5x-8400 soldered RAM and a 512 GB SSD, this machine retails for ₹1,69,934. Currently, it’s available in a single configuration, but a related model, the OmniBook X 14, offers similar specs at a more consumer-friendly price.

You also have the HP AI Companion tool that comes with the laptop. This comes with several AI features, which we’ll get to further in our review. Speaking of which, let’s get started!

HP Elitebook Ultra Build and Design

The EliteBook Ultra boasts a premium look, crafted from recycled aluminium and plastics. Its design echoes the AMD-powered Dragonfly Pro, with similar aesthetics, hinge mechanics, and keyboard layout. While this gives the Qualcomm-powered device a sophisticated appearance, the small hinges are a weak point leading to noticeable wobbling when adjusting the lid.

However, the EliteBook Ultra shines in terms of size and weight, being thinner and lighter than many rivals. 

In terms of connectivity, the EliteBook Ultra includes a USB-A port, which is a rarity in 14-inch notebooks. It also supports USB4, which further enhances compatibility opening up accessibility to docking stations and external monitors.

The keyboard layout closely resembles that of the Dragonfly Pro, with similar key sizes and fonts. However, the key travel feels pretty shallow. We would have appreciated stronger feedback; it would have gone a long way in enhancing the overall typing experience. The keys are backlit which is great for use in dimly lit environments.

Coming to the touchpad, it is slightly on the larger side, which is great. This provides a larger area for multi-touch gestures. Tracking is smooth, and click feedback is firm and satisfying.

Wrapping up with communication options, the laptop features FastConnect 6900 for Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3. However, it does not support Wi-Fi 7, which may be a consideration for future-proofing your connectivity needs.

HP Elitebook Ultra Display 

The display on the HP Elitebook Ultra offers close to full sRGB colour coverage with a sub-QHD resolution of 2,240 x 1,400p, but it lacks advanced features like HDR support and higher refresh rates. 

During our testing, we got a peak average brightness of just 281 nits. Colour accuracy however is great, like we mentioned above. We tested 99.8 percent sRGB coverage and 76.2 percent DCI-P3 coverage. You can certainly use this laptop for your media editing needs while on the go.

HP Elitebook Ultra Performance

With that, we come to the performance. We’ve been pretty excited to see how the new Snapdragon X Elite processors perform ever since they were first announced. Of course, with these laptops being ARM-based machines, it meant that a lot of benchmarks weren’t compatible. Options were limited, with a select few benchmarks having updates that work with ARM machines.

Starting things off with CPU benchmarks. We ran Cinebench 2024, Cinebench R23 and Geekbench 6 to measure single and multi-core performance.

As you can see, the scores are pretty solid, comparable to Intel Core Ultra 5/7 processors in terms of performance. 

We used 3DMark to test the integrated Adreno GPU and as far as synthetic benchmarks scores go these are pretty good for an integrated GPU. You could easily play older AAA titles at comfortable frames based on these scores.

In terms of emissions, the Elitebook Ultra operates quietly, with barely audible fan noise. However, it also runs pretty warm, especially during intense workloads. The hot spot near the WASD keys can reach over 40 degrees Celsius, while the right side remains significantly cooler, by almost 10 degrees Celsius.

HP Elitebook Ultra Battery

During our video loop test, the HP Elitebook Ultra lasted a total of 792 minutes, which is a little over 13 hours. Battery life is solid, and should easily last you a day without needing to charge.

HP AI Companion

HP’s latest AI-powered app, the HP AI Companion, aims to redefine productivity by integrating artificial intelligence directly into its laptops. Touted as a smart assistant for users, it promises to make tasks like document analysis, system optimization, and information retrieval more efficient, but how well does it live up to these claims?

While the HP AI Companion introduces some interesting features, it falls short of delivering the transformative experience one might expect. The app is divided into four main features: Ask, Analyze, Discover, and Perform. The “Ask” feature functions as a ChatGPT-like chatbot, but with the ability to provide only eight follow-ups for a query. It does well in directing users to resources but lacks functionality like generating graphs. On the brighter side, the “Analyze” feature is a standout, allowing users to upload documents and create a repository of information. The AI can retrieve, compare, and even summarise data, making it useful for managing large files, though it’s limited to 100MB in storage.

“Discover” offers recommendations for other AI tools, while “Perform” takes care of the system by monitoring hardware performance and downloading drivers automatically. However, there’s a catch: despite marketing itself as an on-device AI solution, the Companion requires an active internet connection and a logged-in HP account to work, which might be a letdown for users looking for a seamless offline experience.

While it’s built on GPT-4o and is still in beta, the app feels like a work in progress, especially when compared to Microsoft Copilot, which comes pre-installed on many machines. In some cases, the HP AI Companion offers more detailed answers, but overall, its feature set lacks the impact to truly set it apart. HP is on the right track with the idea, but the execution needs refinement to make the AI Companion a must-have tool.

HP Elitebook Ultra Verdict

The HP Elitebook Ultra G1q 14 presents a promising entry into the world of Windows on ARM, but it faces stiff competition from Intel and AMD alternatives. While it’s not a bad machine, its features and performance do not sufficiently differentiate it from well-established rivals, even within HP’s own lineup.

At its current price point, which is pretty pricey, the Elitebook Ultra struggles to justify itself, especially when many competitors offer superior compatibility and performance. If Qualcomm and PC manufacturers aim to convince users to transition to Windows on ARM, they need to deliver more compelling advantages. While this device is a step in the right direction, it has a long journey ahead to truly compete in the market.