HP Elitebook 840 G1 review

We were pleased with the Elitebook 840 G1’s screen, too. The Elitebook 840 G1’s 1,920×1,080 resolution looked razor sharp on its 14in display and its matt finish diffused reflections very well. The screen’s image quality was also excellent. Our colour calibrator showed it was displaying 89.4 per cent of the sRGB colour gamut, which is high, and reds, greens and blues all looked bright and crisp. Our black level reading of 0.25cd/m2 was equally excellent. Solid blacks appeared deep and inky onscreen, with no signs of backlight bleeding whatsoever.

Contrast levels were superb. We recorded a contrast ratio of 1,253:1 and could see a very high level of detail in our high contrast test photos. Areas of dark shadow detail were particularly impressive and the surrounding colours looked rich and vibrant.

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Thanks to a long-lasting battery, the Elitebook 840 G1 will also get you through the working day on a single charge. It lasted 9 hours and 21 minutes in our light use test with the screen set to half brightness. This is good for a business ultraportable, and there’s potential to lengthen your time away from the mains if you install a second battery (HP ST09, £127 inc VAT from www.hp.co.uk).

You don’t need to worry about security either, as the laptop comes with a fingerprint reader, TPM and HP’s security management features. The Elitebook 840 G1 even comes with a three-year warranty for extra peace of mind.

Our only concern is the price. The Elitebook 840 G1 is expensive compared to consumer laptops, but the Elitebook’s toughness, excellent screen, touchpad, security features and warranty are worth paying for if your business depends on your access to a laptop. Not only does the Elitebook 840 G1 have powerful hardware and lots of ports, it also has a great battery life and a choice of operating systems. It wins a much deserved Business Buy award.