Hands on: HP EliteBook X review: can it stand up to the 'most powerful' AI laptop claims?

The HP EliteBook X was easily one of the highlights of the HP Imagine 2024 event, showcasing that despite the tech giant launching high-performing AI PCs with the latest in AI-powered CPUs and NPUs, it's not satisfied resting on its laurels. Instead, HP continues to push the envelope in terms of specs and performance, attempting to give us the best laptop on the market.

The EliteBook X was touted as the "most powerful AI device" available right now and, judging from the specs that HP has provided us with, I'm inclined to agree. At the very least, this AI PC outfitted with an AMD chip does feel like an evolution in terms of design as well as hardware.

HP EliteBook X: price and availability

As of right now, we don't have either an official price point, release date, or availability for the HP EliteBook X. However, judging from previous HP AI PCs, the laptop should be available in the US, UK, and Australia at the very least.

HP EliteBook X: specs

Here are the specs for the HP EliteBook X at a glance. 

HP EliteBook X: design

The outside of the laptop is a beautiful light silver, almost white, color. The chassis is lightweight yet feels sturdy and the hinges are solid. Opening it up, it has a standard keyboard with well-sized keys with a nice snap as you type, along with a responsive touchpad that's the perfect size.

One of the best features of the laptop is the fact that it has a manual switch for the webcam, which is ideal for proper security as it ensures that potential hackers can't hack into it and spy on you. It also has a pretty solid port selection, easily one of the best for an AI laptop so far, including two Thunderbolt 4 with USB Type-C ports, one Type-C port, one USB Type-A port, one headphone and mic combo jack, and one HDMI port. If it had an ethernet cable port and an SD card slot, it would be perfect.

It also has a lovely display, with two options for an LED screen and an OLED screen. One is a WUXGA (1920 x 1200) display and the other is a 2.8K (2880 x 1800). Both feature 400 nits, though the former has sRGB 100%, a touch screen, and a 120Hz refresh rate.

Not only does it boast an aesthetically pleasing design, but a sustainable one as well. According to HP, the EliteBook X is built with 60% of its major parts containing recycled material including up to 80% recycled aluminum in the covers, 21% recycled cooking oil in the bezel, 30% ocean-bound plastic on the speaker box, a heat plate made with 50% recycled copper, and 100% sustainable materials on the packaging.

HP EliteBook X: performance

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The most promoted part of the HP EliteBook X is that it has the highest performance of any AI PC currently on the market. Normally this claim would be hyperbole at best and completely unfounded at worst, but the fact that HP currently has the only NPU that runs at a staggering 55 TOPs as well as a much higher speed memory makes it clear why this boast is most likely true - for now.

That said, we can't fully verify these claims as of yet, at least until we get our hands on an EliteBook X and thoroughly test it ourselves.

It does have another feature that's sure to keep performance running as high as possible, which is Wolf Security. It comes with a host of tools and programs that will protect this laptop including external attacks and cyber threats. As a bonus, Wolf uses the NPU for AI security, which reduces the load on the CPU and GPU and prevents slowdown.

There are other features as well including a hyperbolic cooling system that should prevent overheating, Suresense to protect your laptop from malware, and Smart Hibernate that detects if the laptop is in a bag. Both are powered by an accelerometer sensor.  Finally, there's Onlooking detection which blurs the screen when someone approaches the laptop.

HP EliteBook X: early verdict

Though we still have yet to properly formulate a final verdict, so far the HP EliteBook X looks and sounds promising. Visually it's a beautiful laptop that's easy to transport with a stunning display. Its performance looks to match its appearance, fitting a ton of power in its thin frame.

I'm most excited to get my hands on an AMD-powered AI PC to see how well it compares to both Qualcomm and Intel's own chips. Coupled with it supposedly being the most powerful AI PC, it'll be fascinating to see how well that claim holds up. Regardless, this is definitely one laptop to keep an eye out for in the coming months.