HP EliteBook 660 G11 review – Quiet Powerhouse for the Modern Office
The more feature-rich HP EliteBook devices are positioned higher in the manufacturer hierarchy compared to the ProBook siblings. The EliteBook 660 G11 is a thin business machine that is also powerful, especially if you pick one with a 28W Meteor Lake-H CPU. In our case, we bought a laptop with a 15W Core Ultra 7 155U which is more battery-friendly and still packs enough processor cores for normal business work.
All four display options are 1200p units including the touchscreen one. HP claims 100% sRGB coverage (we can’t confirm that) for two of the panels so check that before configuring your notebook. One of the screens is tied with the Sure View Reflect tech that can be activated with the touch of a button. When turned on, the information on the panel becomes unreadable when viewed from the sides.
Gamers in the office could get a laptop with the optional GeForce RTX 2050 which is also suitable for entry-level content creation. Still, even the iGPUs are punchy enough for light gaming, if the DDR5 memory works in dual-channel mode. The base level of security extras offers a Lock slot, a self-healing BIOS, a privacy shutter, and a dTPM 2.0 chip. Goodies such as NFC, fingerprint reader, IR Web camera, and a Smart Card reader cost an additional amount of money.
You can check the prices and configurations in our Specs System: https://laptopmedia.com/series/hp-elitebook-660-g11/
Contents
Specs, Drivers, What’s in the box
- CPU
- Intel Core Ultra 7 165U #116 in Top CPUs Intel Core Ultra 7 165H #34 in Top CPUs Intel Core Ultra 7 155U #132 in Top CPUs Intel Core Ultra 7 155H #44 in Top CPUs Intel Core Ultra 5 135U #125 in Top CPUs Intel Core Ultra 5 135H #60 in Top CPUs Intel Core Ultra 5 125U #135 in Top CPUs Intel Core Ultra 5 125H #53 in Top CPUs
- Display
- 16.0″, WUXGA (1920 x 1200), IPS
- HDD/SSD
- up to 4000GB SSD
- M.2 Slot
- 1x 2280 PCIe NVMe 4.0 x4 See photo
- RAM
- up to 64GB
- OS
- Windows 11 Pro, Windows 11 Home
- Battery
- 56Wh
- Body material
- Aluminum
- Dimensions
- 359.15 x 250.95 x 10.9 - 17 mm (14.14" x 9.88" x 0.43")
- Weight
- 1.75 kg (3.9 lbs)
- Ports and connectivity
- 1x USB Type-A
- 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps), Power Delivery (PD), Sleep and Charge
- 1x USB Type-A
- 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps), Power Delivery (PD), Sleep and Charge
- 2x USB Type-C
- 4.0, Thunderbolt 4, Power Delivery (PD), DisplayPort
- HDMI
- 2.1
- Card reader
- Ethernet LAN
- 10, 100, 1000 Mbit/s
- Wi-Fi
- Wi-Fi 6E
- Bluetooth
- 5.3
- Audio jack
- 3.5mm Combo Jack
- Features
- Fingerprint reader
- optional
- Web camera
- FHD
- Backlit keyboard
- optional
- Microphone
- Dual Microphone Array
- Speakers
- 2x Stereo Speakers with discrete amps, Audio by Poly Studio
- Optical drive
- Security Lock slot
All HP EliteBook 660 G11 configurations
Drivers
All drivers and utilities for this notebook can be found here: https://support.hp.com/my-en/drivers/hp-elitebook-660-16-inch-g11-notebook-pc/2102139896
What’s in the box?
The box contains usual things like manuals and the laptop itself. Depending on the CPU and the GPU, you get a 65W or a 100W Type-C adapter.
Design and construction
The look of the EliteBook 660 G11 is nearly identical to the ProBook 465 G11 except for the non-rounded logo on the lid. Overall, we’ve seen these design lines in many other HP creations. That’s good because the laptop in front of us seems clean and modern. It’s also thin and light with a starting weight of 1.75 kilos and a profile height of 10.9 – 17 mm.
The metal chassis is stable for the most part. The lid that can’t be opened with a single hand is moderately twistable in an open position. The base is almost rock solid. We observed just a slight flex between the touchpad and the Space key. You’ll not spot this during typing or while using the pad.
Thin bezels around a big 16:10 display are always a welcomed feature.
The camera on top boasts a privacy shutter. The base model is a 1080p unit but you can also get the optional 5Mp IR variant with facial recognition.
The bottom of the lid with its two tiny rubber feet lifts the back of the base which improves the cooling capabilities of the laptop. On the other hand, this is possible only at a very wide angle of opening which isn’t optimal for comfortable work. This machine can’t lay fully flat but the max angle of 177 degrees is still suitable for content sharing.
The keyboard and touchpad combo looks and feels the same as the ones of the ProBook 460 G11 and ProBook 465 G11. The board is a good complement to an office machine because of the large keycaps with long travel and nice feedback. The shortcuts for MS Copilot and Calculator app are a nice addition. On the other hand, the things that we don’t like about this board are the tiny Arrows and the fact that you have to pay more for a backlit unit. Still, the EliteBook 860 G11‘s keyboard is even better.
The touchpad’s tracking and surface smoothness aren’t impressive but they aren’t bad either. The pad is capable enough for standard usage.
On the bottom device, you can see a pair of two long rubber feet, a sizable ventilation grill, and two speaker cutouts. The hot air is guided through a vent on the rear. It points at the lower screen bezel. That’s why some heat makes its way to the panel when the CPU is loaded heavily.
Ports
On the left, there is an HDMI 2.1, a 5 Gbps USB Type-A 3.2 (Gen. 1) port with charging capabilities, a pair of 40 Gbps Thunderbolt 4 / USB4 ports that support USB Power Delivery and DisplayPort 2.1, an Audio combo jack, and an optional Smart Card reader. On the right, we can spot a Lock slot, LAN, one more 5 Gbps USB Type-A 3.2 (Gen. 1) port, and a Nano SIM card slot (option).
Display and Sound Quality, Get our Profiles
HP EliteBook 660 G11 | CMN1638 |
Diagonal | 16.0 inches (40.6 cm) |
Panel Type | IPS |
Resolution | 1920 x 1200 pixels |
Max Refresh Rate | 60 Hz |
Aspect Ratio | 16:10 |
Pixel Density | 141 PPI |
‘Retina’ Distance | Greater than or equal to 61 cm |
Viewing Angles
Viewing angles are good. We take photos from different angles to evaluate the quality.
Also, a video with locked focus and exposure.
Color Coverage
The whole “sail-shaped” map below (Fig. 1) consists of all the colors we can see, while the black crooked line shows all the colors from real-world scenes and nature around us.
Then, we’ve drawn some of the most important and interesting color spaces, compared to the colors the panel of HP EliteBook 660 G11 can show:
Standard/For Web: sRGB – widely used color space for most consumer devices, ideal for Web design and development
For Print: AdobeRGB – used in professional photo editing, graphic design, and print
For Photographers/Video Editors: DCI-P3 – used in high-end film production, post-production, and digital cinema
Premium HDR: Rec.2020 – the widest consumer ITU color standard, covering a massive 75.8% of the visible spectrum, a benchmark for premium HDR content
HP EliteBook 660 G11: the yellow dashed triangle (– – – – – –) represents the range of colors this monitor can display.
In our tests, we calculated the total color coverage of the monitor at 57% of the sRGB color gamut and 45% of the DCI-P3 color gamut.
(Fig.1) HP EliteBook 660 G11 covers 57% of the sRGB gamut
Brightness and Contrast
The maximum brightness in SDR mode is 333 cd/m² in the center of the screen and 313 cd/m² averaged across the surface with a maximum deviation of 11%.
The Correlated Color Temperature (CCT) on a white screen at maximum brightness is 7100K.
The contrast ratio is 1440:1.
Uniformity: Luminance, Contrast, and Color Deviation
The figure below shows the results from our uniformity test across different sections of the screen. It’s measured at 181 nits (Windows slider = 76%) — a brightness level we consider typical for standard working conditions.
DeltaE values below 4.0 are acceptable for regular users. For those working with colors, screens with DeltaE values no higher than 2.0 are recommended.
Color Accuracy
Let’s check the difference between real colors and those you’ll see on the HP EliteBook 660 G11. We measure that distance in DeltaE – the higher the number, the more different they look.
Values below 4.0 are acceptable for regular users, while values below 2.0 are suitable for color-sensitive work. A value below 1.0 means the difference is indistinguishable to the naked eye.
For the next graph, we’ve selected 24 common colors, including dark/light skin, blue sky, green grass, etc.
Before our calibration of the HP EliteBook 660 G11, the Average color accuracy was 3.7 dE (Fig. 2), and with our Design and Gaming profile, it lowered to 3.3 dE (Fig. 3).
Comparison in the sRGB color space (primaries and D65 white point specified in ITU-R BT.709, sRGB encoding curve).
Here’s an illustration of what the Design and Gaming profile aims to deliver:
Left: No Profile | Drag the slider to see the difference | Right: Design & Gaming Profile
Visibility in dark scenes
Have you ever watched a movie with dark scenes where you could barely see anything? This often happens because many display panels struggle to differentiate the darkest nuances, making them appear the same.
The next figure illustrates how well the display reproduces these dark nuances. The left side of the image shows the display with stock settings, and the right side shows it with our Design and Gaming profile activated.
On the horizontal axis are the grayscale levels, and on the vertical axis – the corresponding display brightness.
You can also check how your display handles the darkest nuances but keep in mind that this also depends on the settings of your current display and the surrounding light conditions.
Response time (Gaming capabilities)
We test the reaction time of the pixels with the usual “black-to-white” and “white-to-black” method from 10% to 90% and vice versa.
We recorded Fall Time + Rise Time = 19.1 ms. Short pixel response time is a prerequisite for a smooth picture in dynamic scenes.
After that, we test the reaction time of the pixels with the usual “Gray-to-Gray” method from 50% White to 80% White and vice versa between 10% and 90% of the amplitude.
Health Impact: PWM (Screen flickering)
Some use PWM to regulate their brightness, which means that instead of reducing the light intensity, they pulse or flicker. Our brain merges the image, so it appears darker, but this strains both it and our vision, especially when the frequency of the pulses is low. You can read more about that in our dedicated article on PWM.
In the graph below, you see the intensity of light at different brightness levels—on the vertical axis is the brightness of the emitted light, and on the horizontal axis—time.
The light from the backlight of the HP EliteBook 660 G11 display is not pulse-width modulated, providing visual comfort in the discussed aspect.
Health Impact: Blue light emissions
Installing our Health-Guard profile not only eliminates harmful PWM when the laptop uses it to control brightness but also reduces harmful Blue Light emissions while keeping the colors of the screen perceptually accurate.
If you’re not familiar with the Blue light, the TL;DR version is – emissions that negatively affect your eyes, skin, and your whole body. You can find more information about that in our dedicated article on Blue Light.
Health Impact: Screen Reflectance
Glossy-coated displays can cause eye fatigue in high ambient light conditions due to reflections. We measure the level of screen reflection with the display turned off, at a 60° angle.
The reflectance of the HP EliteBook 660 G11’s screen is 49.6 GU.
High Gloss: >70 GU
Medium Gloss: 30 – 70 GU
Low Gloss: <30 GU
Get our profiles
Since our profiles are tailored for each individual display model, this article and its respective profile package are meant for HP EliteBook 660 G11 configurations with CMN1638, 1920 х 1200, IPS panel.
*Should you have problems with downloading the purchased file, try using a different browser to open the link you’ll receive via e-mail. If the download target is a .php file instead of an archive, change the file extension to .zip or contact us at [email protected].
Read more about the profiles HERE.
In addition to receiving efficient and health-friendly profiles, by buying LaptopMedia's products you also support the development of our labs, where we test devices in order to produce the most objective reviews possible.
Office Work
Office Work should be used mostly by users who spend most of the time looking at pieces of text, tables or just surfing. This profile aims to deliver better distinctness and clarity by keeping a flat gamma curve (2.20), native color temperature and perceptually accurate colors.
Design and Gaming
This profile is aimed at designers who work with colors professionally, and for games and movies as well. Design and Gaming takes display panels to their limits, making them as accurate as possible in the sRGB IEC61966-2-1 standard for Web and HDTV, at white point D65.
Health-Guard
Health-Guard eliminates the harmful Pulse-Width Modulation (PWM) and reduces the negative Blue Light which affects our eyes and body. Since it’s custom tailored for every panel, it manages to keep the colors perceptually accurate. Health-Guard simulates paper so the pressure on the eyes is greatly reduced.
Get all 3 profiles with 33% discount
Sound
The speakers of the HP EliteBook 660 G11 produce high-quality sound. Its low, mid, and high tones are clear without any significant deviations.
Performance: CPU, GPU, Storage
All benchmarks and tests were conducted with the “Best performance” preset applied in the Windows “Power & Battery” menu and the “Fan always on while on AC Power” function enabled in the BIOS.
CPU options
The notebook is offered with the Core Ultra 5 125H, Core Ultra 5 125U, Core Ultra 5 135H, Core Ultra 5 135U, Core Ultra 7 155H, Core Ultra 7 155U, Core Ultra 7 165U, or Core Ultra 7 165H.
Our laptop has a 155U chip.
Here, we evaluate the CPU's performance using a real-world 3D rendering task, assessing its ability to handle complex computations and rendering workloads efficiently.
Results are from the Cinebench 2024 Multi-Core test (higher is better)
Single-core performance ensures smooth operation and responsiveness in operating systems, providing a better user experience.
Results are from the Geekbench 6 Single-Core test (higher is better)
Multi-core performance is essential for handling complex and demanding tasks, such as Video editing, CAD, and Scientific simulations.
Results are from the Geekbench 6 Multi-Core test (higher is better)
GPU options
The GeForce RTX 2050 is the only dGPU model for this HP series.
The machine that we picked has an Intel Graphics (4-Cores).
The results are from 3DMark Time Spy (Graphics). Higher is better.
The results are from 3DMark Wild Life Extreme Unlimited. Higher is better.
Gaming tests
Counter-Strike 2 | HD 1080p, Low (Check settings) | HD 1080p, Medium (Check settings) | HD 1080p, Very High (Check settings) |
Average FPS | 87 FPS | 54 FPS | 22 FPS |
Gears 5 | Full HD, Low (Check settings) | Full HD, Medium (Check settings) | Full HD, High (Check settings) | Full HD, Ultra (Check settings) |
Average FPS | 36 FPS | 25 FPS | 19 FPS | 15 FPS |
Storage performance
Our device is equipped with a 512GB Micron 2400 (MTFDKBA512QFM-1BD1AABHA) which is a QLC model.
Its read speeds are good but the write ones aren’t which is typical for such an SSD. On the bright side, the thermals during benchmarking are great – 45°C.
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Temperatures and comfort, Battery Life
Max CPU load
In this test we use 100% on the CPU cores, monitoring their frequencies and chip temperature. The first column shows a computer’s reaction to a short load (2-10 seconds), the second column simulates a serious task (between 15 and 30 seconds), and the third column is a good indicator of how good the laptop is for long loads such as video rendering.
Average P-core frequency; Average E-core frequency; Average LP E-core frequency; CPU temp.; Package Power
Intel Core Ultra 7 155U (15W Base Power) | 0:02 – 0:10 sec | 0:15 – 0:30 sec | 10:00 – 15:00 min |
---|---|---|---|
HP EliteBook 660 G11 | 4.16 GHz @ 3.38 GHz @ 1.87 GHz @ 79°C @ 57W | 2.88 GHz @ 2.51 GHz @ 1.32 GHz @ 77°C @ 30W | 2.68 GHz @ 2.35 GHz @ 1.19 GHz @ 78°C @ 25W |
Lenovo ThinkPad L14 Gen 5 | 3.60 GHz @ 3.01 GHz @ 1.60 GHz @ 84°C @ 43W | 3.12 GHz @ 2.92 GHz @ 2.00 GHz @ 95°C @ 42W | 2.26 GHz @ 1.87 GHz @ 1.10 GHz @ 71°C @ 21W |
Lenovo ThinkPad X13 2-in-1 Gen 5 | 3.50 GHz @ 3.03 GHz @ 2.07 GHz @ 92°C @ 54W | 3.02 GHz @ 2.58 GHz @ 1.64 GHz @ 88°C @ 36W | 1.91 GHz @ 1.51 GHz @ 1.10 GHz @ 69°C @ 16W |
Dell Latitude 14 5450 | 3.97 GHz @ 3.29 GHz @ 1.77 GHz @ 88°C @ 56W | 3.30 GHz @ 3.01 GHz @ 2.10 GHz @ 98°C @ 49W | 2.52 GHz @ 2.37 GHz @ 1.21 GHz @ 78°C @ 25W |
Dell Latitude 15 5550 | 4.09 GHz @ 3.39 GHz @ 1.88 GHz @ 70°C @ 57W | 2.74 GHz @ 2.35 GHz @ 1.20 GHz @ 66°C @ 26W | 2.15 GHz @ 1.87 GHz @ 1.10 GHz @ 66°C @ 20W |
Despite the modest cooling, Core Ultra 7 155U can sustain impressively high P and E-core frequencies in both short and long loads – 4.16 GHz / 3.38 GHz and 2.68 GHz / 2.35 GHz.
Comfort during full load
The fan remains almost quiet during heavy loads in “Performance” mode.
When the CPU is doing the heavy lifting, the hotspot on the keyboard reaches just 44°C. The other zones on the main body are cooler. The comfort during heavy system loads is very good.
Battery
Now, we conduct the battery tests with the Windows’ Power Efficiency setting turned on, screen brightness adjusted to 180 nits and all other programs turned off except for the one we are testing the notebook with. This laptop’s 56Wh battery pack lasts for around 11 hours of video playback. Оur test was conducted with the “Battery Saver” preset activated in the Windows “Power & Battery” menu.
Brightness: 180 nits; Display Mode: SDR
Time to Full Discharge: Higher is Better
Disassembly, Upgrade options, and Maintenance
To gain access to the internals of this business machine, you have to undo just 5 captive Phillips-head screws. The opening process is very similar to other HP machines of this caliber. Pop the zones near the top two edges with a lever tool. Raise the plate around the upper central screw as well. Now, the rear should be fully popped. After that, work your way around the sides and the front.
Here’s how the bottom plate looks on the inside.
The laptop we bought has an optional 56Wh battery, while the default version is a 48Wh model. To remove it, detach the connector from the mainboard, push down the plastic holder in front of the battery, and carefully slide it to the left. The capacity is enough for around 11 hours of video playback.
The RAM zone has a metal cap on top which can be easily popped with a lever tool.
According to HP, the two SODIMMs are compatible with up to 64GB of DDR5-5600 MHz RAM in dual-channel mode. However, since the CPU can support up to 96GB, this laptop likely wouldn’t have issues running a larger amount of memory than the official manufacturer’s specified limit. Each RAM module is additionally cooled by a thermal pad. The WWAN slot on the left of the cooling is for optional 4G LTE connectivity.
There is just a single Gen 4 M.2 slot for storage upgrades. The preinstalled 2280 NVMe drive is covered with a heat shield. The Wi-Fi 6E card is positioned close to the CPU chip.
The cooling comprises one large fan, a heat pipe, one long heat sink, and a heat spreader.
Verdict
The HP EliteBook 660 G11 is a capable device with a rigid chassis and good performance. The Core Ultra 7 155U P and E cores boost to around 2.68 GHz / 2.35 GHz in long heavy loads which is a respectable result for a machine with a single-fan cooling. When you add the almost quiet fan and the non-hot-to-the-touch keyboard to the mix, you get a snappy yet comfortable workhorse.
The 1200p IPS display (CMN1638) isn’t spectacular but its characteristics are okay for daily usage. It’s a PWM-free panel with wide viewing angles and 333 nits of max brightness. If you need a better panel, pick a device with one of the optional screens that offer higher sRGB coverage.
The port selection seems suitable for the modern-day office employee thanks to the pair of Thunderbolt 4s and the two Type-A for better compatibility with peripheral devices. The upgradability is also on point, the only thing that we miss is another M.2 slot.
The EliteBook 660 is a potent business machine with good comfort under max loads, a nice keyboard, long battery life, and plenty of ports.
You can check the prices and configurations in our Specs System: https://laptopmedia.com/series/hp-elitebook-660-g11/
Pros
- Uninstrusive modern design
- Nice comfort during full loads
- Compact for a 16-incher (1.75 kg / 10.9 – 17 mm)
- Good overall performance for normal office work
- Wide viewing angles and a high max brightness of 333 nits (CMN1638)
- PWM-free panel (CMN1638)
- Comfortable keyboard with optional backlight
- 2x Type-A + 2x Type-C ports
- The fan is almost quiet even in “Performance” mode
- Long battery battery life (~ 11 hours of videos)
- Web camera with a privacy shutter
- Well-cooled NVMe (Micron 2400)
- Lid with a lever design
- Solid base
- Optional fingerprint reader, NFC, IR Web camera, Smart Card reader, and 4G connectivity
- Good sound quality
- The Core Ultra 7 155U can maintain a 2.68 GHz / 2.35 GHz P and E-core clock in long heavy loads
- 2x SODIMMs + replaceable Wi-Fi 6E card
Cons
- Our device has a QLC SSD
- Just one M.2 slot
- Average touchpad
- You can’t open the lid with one hand