We had recently checked out the HP EliteBook 845 G7 equipped with the hexa-core Ryzen 5 Pro 4650U CPU, 8 GB of single-channel RAM, and 250-nit display panel option. This time, we want to see how well the pricier configuration with the octa-core Ryzen 7 Pro 4750U CPU, 16 GB of dual-channel RAM, and 400-nit panel option can compare. What performance and display differences can users expect between these two SKUs?
Our test unit as configured retails for about $1300 or more. We recommend reading up on our review on the Ryzen 5 configuration to learn more about the physical features of the laptop including its keyboard, port options, and serviceability.
Alternatives to the HP EliteBook 845 G7 include other high-end 14-inch business laptops like the Lenovo X1 Carbon and Dell Latitude 7410 or prosumer laptops like the Huawei MateBook X Pro or Asus ZenBook S UX393.
HP EliteBook 845 G7 Ryzen 7 Pro 4750U
Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 4750U 8 x 1.7 – 4.1 GHz, Renoir PRO (Zen 2)
Graphics adapter: AMD Radeon RX Vega 7 – 512 MB, Core: 1600 MHz, Memory: 1333 MHz, DDR4, 27.20.11041.2001
Memory: 16384 MB, DDR4-3200, 22-22-22-52, Dual-Channel
Display: 14.00 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 157 PPI, AU Optronics AUO068B, IPS, glossy: no, 60 Hz
Mainboard: AMD Promontory/Bixby FCH
Storage: Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB256HBHQ, 256 GB
Weight: 1.39 kg ( = 49.03 oz / 3.06 pounds), Power Supply: 280 g ( = 9.88 oz / 0.62 pounds)
Price: 1300 USD
Display
Our configuration comes equipped with a 400-nit AU Optronics panel in contrast to the 250-nit LG Philips panel on our Ryzen 5 SKU. Other than being brighter, this particular panel also offers deeper colors and a similar contrast ratio of over 1000:1. Black-white and gray-gray response times, however, are slower for more noticeable ghosting here. Still, we find this trade-off to be well worth it especially for an office laptop where colors and brightness are often more important than super-fast response times.
Note that maximum brightness will automatically drop to just 184 nits when on battery power due to AMD Vari-Bright. Disabling this feature via the included Radeon software lifts this low ceiling up to 432.5 nits.
Color space is two times greater than on our less expensive 6-core EliteBook 845 G7 configuration. Our 400-nit panel option covers all of sRGB and approximately 64 percent of AdobeRGB to be suitable for most editors or content creators.
The panel is well-calibrated out of the box with average grayscale and color DeltaE values of just 2.5 and 2.34, respectively. Calibrating the display ourselves even further would improve both gamma and RGB balance just marginally.
Though the 400-nit display is brighter than the 250-nit display on our Ryzen 5 model, it’s still not bright enough to be viewable outdoors. Luckily, HP offers an even brighter 1000-nit panel option for its EliteBook 845 series much like on the EliteBook 1030/1040 series.
Performance
Unlike the Intel-powered EliteBook 840 G7 series, the EliteBook 845 G7 series is home to all the 7 nm AMD options. Users can choose between the Ryzen 3 Pro 4450U, Ryzen 5 Pro 4650U, or Ryzen 7 Pro 4750U. The Ryzen 7 Pro 4750U is essentially the business version of the consumer Ryzen 7 4800U meaning it supports memory encryption, Secure Boot, Trusted Applications, and other hardware-based security measures. Clock rates are slightly slower than the Ryzen 7 4800U as a result of the security overhead (1.7 GHz vs. 1.8 GHz base). The number of GPU cores has been reduced from 8 (Vega 8) to 7 (Vega 7).
Processor
Much like the Ryzen 7 4800U, multi-thread performance on the octa-core Ryzen 7 Pro 4750U is insanely fast when considering the small chassis form factor and small 15 W to 25 W TDP range. CineBench results rank our processor to be on par with the hexa-core Core i7-10750H which is a more much power-hungry processor commonly found on larger laptops like the HP Envy 15, HP Spectre x360 15, or the Dell XPS 15. Intel has no proper U-series octa-core equivalent at the moment as its closest alternative is the 14 nm hexa-core Core i7-10810U which also boasts much slower integrated graphics performance as well.
Upgrading from the 6-core Ryzen 5 Pro 4650U to the 8-core Ryzen Pro 4750U will bring a 20 to 25 percent performance boost in multi-threaded workloads while single-core performance is essentially the same.
System Performance
PCMark results are excellent for a business laptop especially in Digital Content Creation where the extra CPU cores and fast integrated Vega 7 graphics come in handy.
We experienced no software issues with our test unit. On the hardware side, however, our HP P700 external SSD would constantly disconnect and reconnect when attached to any of USB-A ports of the laptop. Connecting the external SSD via USB-C solves the issue. Nonetheless, we recommend testing various USB-A devices to check if the USB ports are exhibiting any issues.
DPC Latency
LattencyMon shows no DPC latency issues when opening multiple browser tabs on our homepage. 4K UHD video playback is also smooth with just 6 dropped frames during our minute-long YouTube test.
Storage Devices
Storage drives often differ between regions or resellers. Our Ryzen 7 EliteBook 845 G7, for example, comes with a 256 GB Samsung PM981a compared to the 256 GB PM991 on the Ryzen 5 option. The PM981a is significantly faster than the PM991 especially in sequential write rates. users can configure up to 1 TB, but we can’t guarantee what specific drives will actually be included.
GPU Performance
Graphics performance is excellent especially for a business laptop running on just integrated graphics. The Radeon RX Vega 7 here is consistently faster than even the Core i7 Iris Xe in the recently released Asus ZenBook 14 UX425EA according to 3DMark benchmarks. Results are also on par with the discrete GeForce MX250. This doesn’t necessarily mean that our HP system will run games faster than other systems the Iris Xe or GeForce MX250 due to differences in drivers and optimizations, but the raw performance is impressive nonetheless.
Note that our Vega 7 GPU is performing over 60 percent faster than the Vega 6 GPU in our Ryzen 5 EliteBook 845 G7. The wide delta can be partly attributed to the single-channel 8 GB RAM on our Ryzen 5 SKU compared to the dual-channel 16 GB RAM on our Ryzen 7 SKU. The graphics performance difference between Vega 6 and Vega 7 should therefore be much closer than what is presented below between these two HP laptops.
Emissions
System Noise
Fan noise is about the same as on the Ryzen 5 SKU after accounting for the differences in environmental noise. An exception, however, occurs when running Prime95 or when the processor is subjected to similar extreme loads. In such scenarios, fan noise will plateau louder at almost 40 dB(A). The noise is higher-pitched than we would like as well meaning the fan is more noticeable when it starts ramping up.
Temperature
Surface temperatures are generally warmer than on the 6-core EliteBook 845 G7. Hot spots when running extreme loads reach up to 44 C and 53 C on the top and bottom surfaces of the chassis, respectively, compared to just 39 C on the 6-core configuration. The palm rests and most of the keyboard keys remain cooler and so the higher temperatures are not bothersome.
Stress Test
When running Prime95, the CPU would boost to 3.2 GHz for just a few seconds before falling and stabilizing at 2.9 GHz and 84 C which is warmer than on most Ultrabooks. Interestingly, core temperature is generally cooler than what we observed on the Ryzen 5 version of the EliteBook 845 G7 where that CPU would reach 100 C when running CineBench R15.
Running on battery power will not limit performance. A 3DMark 11 test on batteries would return Physics and Graphics scores of 12102 and 5134 points, respectively, compared to 11889 and 5331 points on mains.
Energy Management
Power Consumption
When compared to the 6-core EliteBook 845 G7, our 8-core version consumes more power when under load. Running 3DMark 06 draws 40 percent more from the outlet for a 25 to 25 percent increase in multi-thread CPU performance and a 60 percent increase in graphics performance. Performance-per-watt here is higher than anticipated especially when compared to Intel’s last generation Ice Lake or Comet Lake-U series.
The 65 W AC adapter is small (~8.8 x 5 x 2.8 cm) and capable of recharging the laptop at a decent rate when running extreme loads.
Battery Life
Expect around 13 hours of real-world WLAN use when running on battery power. The system can be recharged via USB-C or the proprietary AC barrel port.
Verdict
Laptops powered by the latest AMD Renoir CPUs deserve more attention than they’re getting simply because they’re outperforming the usual Intel options at the same price or less especially in graphics performance. If the types of applications you run can benefit from additional physical cores or faster GPU performance, then a Ryzen 5 or Ryzen 7 configuration will be a no-brainer. It’s a shame that HP doesn’t include these same AMD options for more of its EliteBook models like on the Dragonfly or EliteBook 1030/1040 series.
As for the display, we believe the upgrade from 250-nit to 400-nit is worth considering mostly because it brings deeper and more accurate colors alongside the bump in brightness level. Battery life isn’t significantly impacted and outdoor visibility will be a bit better as well. When configured correctly, the EliteBook 845 G7 gets almost everything right.
