The HP EliteBook 845 G11 is a sleek, silver 14-inch enterprise laptop that means business. This premium Windows 11 machine features an AMD Ryzen 7 8840HS processor and Radeon 780M graphics, 32GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage—more than enough to keep you productive all day long.
One of the best business laptops on the market, the EliteBook is sleek and professional, with all the pretensions of a MacBook from the moment you open the lid to reveal a well-placed, backlit black keyboard with a silver frame. In use, it’s comfortable and intuitive (any typos are entirely my own), although as with so many thin laptops, the key travel can feel dull and shallow.
I’ve always had mixed experiences with HP laptops – they often feel cheap and plasticky, the lids are soft and hollow, the keys flat, so it was a relief to pick up the all-metal EliteBook 845 G11. It doesn’t feel quite as good or durable in the hand as the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s I recently reviewed, but there’s a reassuring sturdiness and heft to the machine.
In terms of performance, this laptop delivers exactly what you’d expect and hope for. It handles web browsing, Microsoft Office, and G Suite apps with aplomb. I had no performance-related issues, either when typing and editing in the notoriously resource-hungry Chrome or when video conferencing. However, both the bottom and the palm rests get quite warm with prolonged use, which is especially noticeable when charging the device.
Overall, it’s an excellent business laptop with plenty of options for programming, campus use, and also for regular home use. Since this laptop doesn’t have a decent GPU, it’s less suitable for high-resolution video editing and 3D rendering. However, the CPU and RAM are more than enough to handle everyday office tasks smoothly.
HP EliteBook 845 G11: Price & Availability
You should have no trouble getting your hands on the HP EliteBook 845 G11, which is available from many online retailers and direct from HP. Even older EliteBooks are readily available. Prices for the laptop start at $1790 / £1200.
HP EliteBook 845 G11: Design and features
Technical data
Processor: Up to AMD Ryzen 7 Pro
R.A.M: Up to 64GB
Storage: Up to 2TB PCIe Gen4x4 NVMe M.2 SSD
Advertisement: 14″ WUXGA IPS (1920 x 1200)
Graphic: AMD Radeon graphics card
Ports: 2x Thunderbolt 4, 2x USB 3.2 Gen 1, 1x HDMI, 1x 3.5mm audio jack, 1x smart card reader, 1x Nano SIM slot, 1x security lock slot
Operating system: Windows 11 Pro
Weight: From 1.42 kg
Battery life: Up to 10 hours
Weighing 1.42 kg and measuring 12.4 x 8.83 x 0.64 inches, the HP EliteBook 845 G11 has a good weight and feel. It features an all-metal chassis “based on high-quality aluminum and magnesium,” according to the manufacturer, and I felt that this notebook could take a few knocks on the way to work or when transporting it from one hot desk to another.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: 14 inches is the ideal size for a business laptop. Not too small, not too bulky, perfect for constant use without adding too much weight. This EliteBook fits well in that category. The base model’s display is a 14-inch anti-glare display with a 1920 x 1200 resolution and a disappointingly average brightness of 300 nits. That’s fine at home and in the office, but outdoors in bright light you’ll struggle to see the screen. On the other hand, HP offers a range of alternative panels with Low Blue Light and touch capabilities, as well as 400, 500 and 800 nit options.
Above the panel is a 5MP webcam that does its job, but not much more. Again, you can upgrade to the 5MP IR webcam, or remove the camera if you never want to endure another Zoom presentation. What I particularly like here is the physical camera cover – which is quickly becoming a necessity for business laptops. Cleverly sliding the ridged switch to the left will grey out the camera and disable it in the settings, rather than simply covering the lens.
The keyboard is comfortable to use, with a soft white backlight that automatically turns off after a few minutes of inactivity to save battery life, for use in low light and at night. The keys aren’t too spongy like, say, the Microsoft Surface, but soft and firm enough to take a beating when typing on a report or spreadsheet or writing a laptop review. While not quite up to the excellent keyboards you’d typically find on the best Lenovo ThinkPad laptops—by far the best I’ve used on a business laptop—the spacious design really lets your fingers flow and creates a good rhythm when typing. The welcome addition of a soft white keyboard backlight that automatically turns off after a few minutes of inactivity to save battery life. I did have a few near misses with the arrow keys and Page Up/Page Down keys being so crowded together, but these were few and far between.
The trackpad is wide and allows for sweeping gestures without being hampered by physical buttons. Just be careful not to hit your palm against it while typing, as happened to me on occasion, sending the cursor to all sorts of unwanted places.
For everyday use, connectivity is good. It’s a thin laptop, and thin laptops usually mean as few ports as possible, but you’ll still find an HDMI port, two USB Type-A 5Gbps ports, two Thunderbolt 4 ports, a nano SIM card slot, and a 3.5mm audio jack. You may still need to invest in one of the best laptop docking stations, though there’s plenty of room here to connect essential peripherals or hook up a second monitor.
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HP EliteBook 845 G11: Performance
I tested this laptop for normal business use – the kind the HP EliteBook 845 G11 is built for, right out of the box. I ran a lot of Google Docs and Sheets, jumped into the odd meeting, did a bit of photo editing, opened more tabs than necessary in the web browser. And of course, in keeping with tradition, I wrote this review on the laptop. Equipped with all that RAM, the EliteBook handled all of these tasks in near-total silence.
I can’t say it’s the best laptop for photo editing. If you’re a professional, a dedicated content creation station like the MacBook Pro will suit you better – not least because the screen brightness and 100% sRGB color space coverage leave something to be desired in a professional design environment. But for undemanding Photoshop work, social media images, and lower-resolution video editing for your website, the HP device does the job.
Battery life was OK – I was able to use the device for about 6-7 hours, getting me through most of the day before needing to charge it. And that’s with normal use – mostly Google Docs and content management systems. That’s pretty normal for a laptop like this that has to balance heavy batteries with portability, but I wish it lasted a bit longer.
As mentioned, the notebook got even warmer after extended use than the Lenovo T14s. That was the only real issue I encountered, and it was to be expected with such a powerful business notebook. Otherwise, the EliteBook 845 G11 shines in terms of productivity and performance.
HP EliteBook 845 G11: Final Verdict
There’s a lot of good and not a lot of bad about the HP EliteBook 845 G11. It’s a well-built, well-designed machine that handled all the tasks I threw at it with ease. I found the keyboard very comfortable to use, even for long periods of time – and while it doesn’t quite match ThinkPad standards in this regard, the EliteBook gives Lenovo’s business range a serious run for its money in almost every other way.
The screen might be a deal-breaker for some – with its average brightness of 300 nits and low color gamut, it’s not suitable for those who need more than basic photo editing and online asset creation. But with plenty of RAM and a powerful CPU, everyday business laptop use was smooth and quiet. It did get hot at times on the bottom and palm rests, but not so much that the laptop became unusable or too uncomfortable. Otherwise, though, this is a very well-built machine that, while not a rugged machine with a range of IP and MIL-STD ratings, feels reliable and sturdy.
Should I buy the HP EliteBook 845 G11?
| Characteristics | Notes | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| design | Robust, beautiful, MacBook-like | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| User-friendliness | Easy to use | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| practicability | Portable and powerful | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Price | Good price for a business laptop | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
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