The display cover is made of magnesium when you get a version with cellular connection, and the keyboard has a lovely matte feel. Other distinctions include the 16-inch display and numeric keypad, which are both noticeable and subtle. When you look inside at the AMD Ryzen 5 and 7 processors, each paired with AMD Radeon 660M Graphics, the differences become much more apparent. Although it is an EliteBook, this one is a unique variety.
HP EliteBook 865 G9 Laptop review: Design
The laptop has a fingerprint reader built into the touchpad that provides rapid and safe login for users. In order to avoid unauthorized monitoring, it also contains a built-in camera privacy shutter that allows users to physically block the webcam and control when it is active. The EliteBook 865 G9 has a sleek, businesslike appearance thanks to the black brushed metal finish on its lid and keyboard deck. The MIL-STD-810G protection on this laptop, according to HP testing, allows it to endure 26 drops from 30″ onto each side a military standard that specifies environmental test methods and guidelines for the design and testing of military equipment and systems to ensure their suitability for use in various environmental conditions. It also has a variety of connectivity options, including two Thunderbolt 4 ports, a USB-C connector, an HDMI port, two USB-A ports, a headphone jack, support for Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0, among others. We noticed that either USB-C port could be used to charge the power brick that was included with the laptop.
Keyboard and touchpad
We don’t think of ourselves as choosy when it comes to laptop keyboards, but the one on the HP EliteBook 865 G9 is excellent. The keys offer a comfortable amount of travel without bottoming out too brutally, and typing on it feels fantastic. We also don’t encounter many mistakes, with the exception of my own errors caused by switching between keyboards from various regions. Additionally, the keys are lighted so you may comfortably type at night without squinting. HP does a great job of utilizing the extra room to incorporate a number pad. Even so, many laptops lack them because they are often only available on models larger than 15 inches. The majority of laptops used for productivity don’t truly require excellent speakers to begin with, even though it comes at the expense of top-firing speakers. This device’s HP programmable key, which is located on F12, is an intriguing feature. You can programme the myHP app to open a file or folder, launch an application, or go to a website. Additionally, you can assign particular text bits to the key, combine numerous operations to be triggered by a single key press, or configure the programmable key such that striking it initiates a series of key presses. The touchpad is also amazing, so there’s that. To utilize all of the available space in the chassis, the EliteBook 865 G9 sports a very large, smooth touchpad. It is really simple and comfortable to use, right down to how the click feels, which is neither too hard nor too soft. It fits perfectly.
Display
Our test unit has the Sure View panel fitted, an optional feature with an inbuilt privacy screen. Its general characteristics—1920 x 1200 pixels, a matte finish, and up to 1000 cd/m2 brightness—are enticing, but there are still a lot more things to consider. Even when the built-in privacy filter is turned off, viewing angles are quite limited, and there is a very small sweet spot just in front of the display where image quality is unaffected. also you can check our article on HP EliteBook 865 G9 Laptop review. The built-in privacy filter may be turned on or off with the touch of a button. Even small movements can significantly affect the contrast and brightness. Bright content also looks a little grainy on the matte display. The control of brightness is a big challenge. Sure View is only functional at the lowest brightness levels. This leads to two problems: Because Sure View is challenging to utilize in bright situations, low-light circumstances are required to obtain the lowest degree of brightness.
HP EliteBook 865 G9 Laptop review: Audio
Regarding sound inputs and outputs, HP Audio Control software provides an equalizer, music, movie, speech, and automatic settings in addition to AI-based speaker and microphone noise reduction. The HP Wolf Security suite is an additional piece of software that offers features like Sure Click execution of apps and webpages in virtual machine containers, malware protection with hardware-enforced containment, deep learning to counter new threats, and BIOS and operating system recovery to aid IT departments. Additionally, you get HP Easy Clean, which freezes inputs for a short period of time while you use a cleaning wipe, HP Quick Drop to exchange files with your smartphone, and HP Power Manager to maximize battery charge and lifespan.
Graphics
The AMD Radeon 680M integrated graphics card, one of the quickest iGPUs at the moment, powers the processor’s graphics capabilities. Unfortunately, the single-channel RAM arrangement places our test device on par with the Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 with 96 EUs in terms of performance. The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 G3 sports a second RAM module and the same AMD processor and power constraints as its predecessor. Depending on the test, the Lenovo’s GPU performance is between 45 and 75 percent better than that of our test unit, which is a significant difference. All of this shouldn’t have a significant impact on how you typically use your laptop for professional purposes. But if you want to play games occasionally, you might wish to improve your RAM setup; otherwise, practically all games will only let you play at the most basic detail level.
Performance
The AMD Ryzen 6000 series CPUs are one of the processor options for the HP EliteBook 865 G9. My specific model features a Ryzen 7 Pro 6850U, which has 8 cores, 16 threads, and a maximum boost frequency of 4.7GHz. This is certainly the most mobile option, but if you want greater performance at the sacrifice of battery life, there is a model with an AMD Ryzen 7 Pro 6850HS, a more potent 35W processor. However, that does not imply that this machine’s performance is in any way lacking. Office duties of any kind are easily handled with the Ryzen 7 Pro 6850U, and you’ll never feel the need for more. Additionally, the laptop’s integrated Radeon Graphics 680M offers the best integrated GPU performance available right now. The 16GB of RAM is sufficient for multitasking with multiple browser tabs and applications open, but if you require more, you can upgrade to 64GB. Additionally, the RAM fits into SODIMM slots, allowing you to increase it later and avoid paying full price. Additionally, 2TB of SSD storage is available. Benchmark results show that AMD continues to outperform Intel’s U-series CPUs in terms of multi-core CPU performance. Of course, P-series models, like those in the Dell XPS 13, can perform better, but they also consume a lot more power, and managing thermals can be challenging. The EliteBook 865 G9 actually performs higher in general-purpose benchmarks like PCMark 10 due to the difference in GPU, while 3DMark demonstrates just how much of a difference those AMD Radeon integrated GPUs make.
HP EliteBook 865 G9 Laptop review: Battery life
Let’s talk about battery life, one of the greatest available specifications. Battery life is something we like to assess in two different ways. First, we have a more consistent test. Up until the laptop turns off, we watch a YouTube movie in 720p with the brightness and volume at 50%. The HP EliteBook 865 G9 completed that task in 13 and 30 minutes, which is outstanding. Then, using the laptop as usual, we tested a more realistic scenario. At 20% battery, the battery saver mode is activated, and 40% screen brightness is maintained. We were only able to complete it in 5 hours, 41 minutes, but it was on a day when we had many lengthy meetings. Otherwise, even during some virtual sessions, we frequently went over 6 hours, and on a few occasions, we even went over 7 hours. The perfect time frame was 8 hours, 9 minutes. This battery is great, even though HP makes a model with a smaller capacity that will be less impressive.
Heat
Despite the silent fans, the EliteBook 865 G9’s surface temperatures are always under control. At low load, temperatures are constant, and at maximum load, they only reach a maximum of 47 °C in one spot on the base unit. Both the keyboard and using the tablet on your lap are unaffected by this. The processor runs at 30 watts to begin our stress test, but quickly reduces to 25 watts for roughly 10 minutes. The usage drops even more after that, at 23 watts. After the stress test was over, we experienced no performance effects. also you will learn our article on HP EliteBook 865 G9 Laptop review.
Configuration options
The HP EliteBook 800 G9 series, which includes the EliteBook 865 and other versions in various sizes as well as choices with Intel CPUs, was introduced earlier this year. The simplest location to find it is on HP’s website, however other resellers may also have it in stock. This particular business laptop might be difficult to locate at stores that cater more to consumers, such Best Buy. According to HP, the high-end EliteBook 865 G9 model that we received for this study costs $2,189. However, because such business computers frequently receive considerable discounts, this can vary greatly. It will depend on when you’re buying, but I tried to design a comparable configuration on HP’s website, and it came out to $2,045.40.
Conclusion
The AMD Ryzen 7 CPU and integrated graphics in the HP EliteBook 865 G9 won’t blow you away, but this business laptop is a terrific value for general office productivity and irregular content creation jobs. Despite being large, this fantastic video conferencing system offers above-average portability because it has LTE connectivity and an eternal battery. The IPS screen’s relatively poor quality is the one significant drawback we can see, however it won’t be a deal breaker for Word, Excel, or PowerPoint. This will bother editors of photographs or movies. Before the inevitable release of the G10, let’s hope HP creates a model with enhanced screen technology, as it would probably enhance its reputation.
