HP EliteBook X G2i review: powerful and lightweight, but expensive

TechRadar reviewer Alastair Jennings says the HP EliteBook X G2i pairs strong performance with a lightweight design, though its business-focused price is high. He tested the 14-inch laptop for a couple of weeks.

The magnesium-alloy casing feels light and showed some flex, while Jennings found the laptop durable during testing. It weighs just under a kilogram and has a 3K-resolution display. The tested configuration includes an Intel Core Ultra X7 358H processor, Intel Arc B390 integrated graphics, an NPU, 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD.

Jennings reports that the laptop handled office work, Lightroom and Photoshop well. It also managed short 4K video edits in CapCut and Premiere Pro when paired with an external SSD. Games including Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and Hogwarts Legacy ran well at standard settings, but higher graphics settings caused frame rates to struggle and the fans to become audible.

The laptop has two Thunderbolt 4 ports rated at up to 40Gbps, along with HDMI, USB-A and USB-C ports. TechRadar lists a 14-inch, 2880 x 1800, 120Hz display. The review gives the UK price as £2,445.59 including VAT and says a similar US configuration costs around US$3,599.