HP EliteBook 860 G11 review – The Ideal Office Workhorse?

The EliteBook 860 G11 seems like a good choice for office or hybrid employees because of the security features. You get a Tamper Lock protection, a self-healing BIOS, a Lock slot, a privacy shutter, and a dTPM2.0 chip. If that’s not enough for you, HP offers many optional goodies. This includes a fingerprint reader, IR Web camera, NFC, eSIM, and a vPro CPU. We can spot the Intel Evo certification in the specifications which isn’t standard but it enhances the battery life. You can achieve longer autonomous work if you pick a device with a U-series Meteor Lake processor and an optional 76Wh battery. Perhaps the power users in the office will prefer 28W chips which are also available.

We like that the port selection is on point thanks to the pair of Thunderbolt 4s. The upgradability would be nearly ideal, except for the limitation of a single M.2 slot. The manufacturer sells this laptop with a choice of six display models. Five of them are 1200p variants (there is a touchscreen in the mix) and the top dog is a 2880 x 1800 OLED for the wealthy CEOs out there. You can also configure the device with 4G LTE or 5G connectivity.

You can check the prices and configurations in our Specs System: https://laptopmedia.com/series/hp-elitebook-860-g11/

Contents


Specs, Drivers, What’s in the box

HP EliteBook 860 G11 - Specs

  • CMN1638
  • Color accuracy  3.7  3.2
  • HDD/SSD
  • up to 2000GB SSD
  • RAM
  • up to 64GB
  • OS
  • Windows 11 Pro, Windows 11, Windows 11 Home
  • Battery
  • 56Wh
  • Body material
  • Aluminum
  • Dimensions
  • 322.83 x 224.28 x 9.02 – 16.35 mm (12.71" x 8.83" x 0.36")
  • Weight
  • 1.73 kg (3.8 lbs)
  • Ports and connectivity
  • 1x USB Type-A
  • 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps), Power Delivery (PD)
  • 1x USB Type-A
  • 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps), Sleep and Charge
  • 2x USB Type-C
  • 4.0, Thunderbolt 4, Power Delivery (PD), DisplayPort
  • HDMI
  • 2.1
  • Card reader
  • Ethernet LAN
  • Wi-Fi
  • Wi-Fi 6E
  • Bluetooth
  • 5.3
  • Audio jack
  • 3.5mm Combo Jack
  • Features
  • Fingerprint reader
  • optional
  • Web camera
  • 5MP IR
  • Backlit keyboard
  • optional
  • Microphone
  • Dual Microphone Array
  • Speakers
  • 2x Stereo Speakers with discrete amps, Audio by Poly Studio
  • Optical drive
  • Security Lock slot

Drivers

All drivers and utilities for this notebook can be found here: https://support.hp.com/ee-en/drivers/hp-elitebook-860-16-inch-g11-notebook-pc/2102058006

What’s in the box?

The box contains a bit of paperwork and the notebook itself. Depending on the CPU model, you get a 65W or a 100W Type-C adapter.


Design and construction

It’s hard to spot any difference between the design of the EliteBook 860 G11 and the 2023 G10 model (which is also nearly identical to the G9 variant!). The aluminum chassis looks sleek in a silver color with a matte finish which is nearly fingerprint-proof. The device is pretty light for a 16-incher – 1.729 kg. With a profile height of just 9.02 mm – 16.35 mm, it’s not thick either.

The lid can’t be opened with one hand and it feels a bit spongy in the middle. On the flip side, it’s not too bendy in an open position. The base is definitely solid. We pushed down hard the whole main body and it only flexed slightly below the Space key and the Arrows. However, you’ll not observe this even during harsh typing.

Thin bezels around a 16:10 IPS display are always appreciated.

All machines of this HP series are configured with a 5MP Web camera tied with a privacy shutter. An IR unit with the same resolution is also available for configuring.

The bottom of the lid has two small rubber feet which are there to prevent scratches. The lid has a lever system and it raises the rear part of the base. However, this is only possible when the angle of the opening is pretty wide which isn’t too comfy for normal work (at least for us).

Flat opening isn’t possible but it’s close to the 180-degree mark.

This HP spill-resistant keyboard remains one of the best units in its class. The long key travel and the clicky feedback are on board making it comfortable for long hours of non-stop typing. The grippy keys will help in this regard. The board has a NumPad which could be important when doing tons of calculations daily. The mandatory shortcut for MS Copilot is close to the Arrows. The “Up” and “Down” ones are small but we’ve seen even tinier.

The glass touchpad feels exactly like the unit that we saw in the previous gen mode. Which is great because that’s a glass unit with super accuracy.

The bottom plate looks normal with its two long rubber feet, a ventilation grill, and two speaker cutouts. The hot air is pushed via a vent on the back.  It aims at the hinge cover and that’s why some amount of hot air reaches the screen when the CPU is stressed at max.

Ports

On the left, you get an HDMI 2.1, a 5 Gbps USB Type-A 3.2 (Gen. 1) port with a charging function followed by a pair of 40 Gbps Thunderbolt 4 / USB4 ports with USB Power Delivery and DisplayPort 1.4 functionality, and a Smart Card Reader (option). The right side has an Audio combo jack, a 5 Gbps USB Type-A 3.2 (Gen. 1) port which supports charging, a Lock slot, and an optional Nano SIM card slot.


Display and Sound Quality, Get our Profiles

HP EliteBook 860 G11CMN1638
Diagonal16.0 inches (40.6 cm)
Panel TypeIPS
Resolution1920 x 1200 pixels
Max Refresh Rate60 Hz
Aspect Ratio16:10
Pixel Density141 PPI
‘Retina’ DistanceGreater 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 860 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 860 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 860 G11 covers 57% of the sRGB gamut

Brightness and Contrast

The maximum brightness in SDR mode is 317 cd/m² in the center of the screen and 300 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 7140K.

The contrast ratio is 1540:1.

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 183 nits (Windows slider = 78%) — 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 Lenovo ThinkPad T16 Gen 3. 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 860 G11, the Average color accuracy was 3.7 dE (Fig. 2), and with our Design and Gaming profile, it lowered to 3.2 dE (Fig. 3).

(Fig. 2) HP EliteBook 860 G11 in its factory condition

(Fig. 3) HP EliteBook 860 G11 with our display profile

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 = 20.0 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 860 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 860 G11’s screen is 51.2 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 860 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 860 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 “Performance” profile activated in the MyHP app. The “Best performance” preset is applied in the Windows “Power & Battery” menu and the “Fan always on while on AC Power” function is enabled in the BIOS.

CPU options

The notebook can be found with the Intel Core Ultra 5 125U, Core Ultra 5 135U, Core Ultra 7 155U, Core Ultra 7 165U, Core Ultra 5 125H, Core Ultra 5 135H, Core Ultra 7 155H, or Core Ultra 7 165H.

Our laptop has a 155H 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

You can rely on the Intel Graphics (4-Cores), Intel Arc (7-Cores), or Intel Arc (8-Cores) for graphics tasks.

The device that we bought is equipped with the 8-Core model.

Gaming tests

Counter-Strike 2HD 1080p, Low (Check settings)HD 1080p, Medium (Check settings)HD 1080p, Very High (Check settings)
Average FPS148 FPS104 FPS41 FPS

Gears 5Full HD, Low (Check settings)Full HD, Medium (Check settings)Full HD, High (Check settings)Full HD, Ultra (Check settings)
Average FPS59 FPS41 FPS34 FPS26 FPS

Storage performance

Our notebook a 1TB SAMSUNG PM9B1 MZVL41T0HBLB-00BH1. Its speeds are decent at best but on the flip side, the NVMe drive doesn’t get hot during benchmarking reaching just 58°C.


[eBook Guide + Tools] How to MAX OUT Your Laptop

You can make your laptop Faster. LaptopMedia has tested thousands of models in the last 15 years, and we have yet to see a notebook that couldn't be made more powerful through modifications.

That's why we decided to bundle everything we know about how to achieve this in an Easy-to-Follow, Step-by-Step, and Laboratory-Tested, all in one project.

Read more about it here:
[eBook Guide + Tools] How to MAX OUT Your Laptop

[eBook Guide] How to MAX OUT your Laptop

🛠️ GPU Modifications: vBIOS, Overclocking, Undervolting
⚙️ Building Fast/Reliable RAID configuration
💻 Hardware upgrade tips for best results
🖼 Display enhancing
💾 OS Optimization for best performance


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 155H (28W Base Power)0:02 – 0:10 sec0:15 – 0:30 sec10:00 – 15:00 min
HP EliteBook 860 G112.28 GHz @ 1.80 GHz @ 1.24 GHz @ 58°C @ 48W2.70 GHz @ 2.22 GHz @ 1.51 GHz @ 84°C @ 58W1.64 GHz @ 1.25 GHz @ 1.08 GHz @ 73°C @ 28W
Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 22.28 GHz @ 1.96 GHz @ 1.29 GHz @ 70°C @ 43W2.17 GHz @ 1.89 GHz @ 1.20 GHz @ 85°C @ 43W1.57 GHz @ 1.00 GHz @ 0.86 GHz @ 76°C @ 28W
Acer Predator Helios Neo 14 (PHN14-51)4.19 GHz @ 2.59 GHz @ 2.23 GHz @ 77°C @ 113W4.19 GHz @ 2.67 GHz @ 2.28 GHz @ 88°C @ 115W3.67 GHz @ 2.65 GHz @ 2.49 GHz @ 95°C @ 97W
Lenovo Yoga Pro 7i 143.12 GHz @ 2.64 GHz @ 1.80 GHz @ 71°C @ 70W3.09 GHz @ 2.61 GHz @ 1.80 GHz @ 83°C @ 70W2.81 GHz @ 2.44 GHz @ 1.70 GHz @ 83°C @ 58W
Lenovo ThinkPad P16v Gen 22.90 GHz @ 2.74 GHz @ 2.46 GHz @ 101°C @ 89W2.67 GHz @ 2.77 GHz @ 2.46 GHz @ 100°C @ 83W2.52 GHz @ 2.65 GHz @ 1.85 GHz @ 101°C @ 60W
Dell Precision 14 34903.07 GHz @ 2.45 GHz @ 1.68 GHz @ 71°C @ 64W3.04 GHz @ 2.46 GHz @ 1.70 GHz @ 83°C @ 64W1.89 GHz @ 1.56 GHz @ 1.14 GHz @ 75°C @ 33W
MSI Prestige 14 AI Studio C1U2.74 GHz @ 2.16 GHz @ 1.58 GHz @ 67°C @ 60W2.74 GHz @ 2.16 GHz @ 1.57 GHz @ 73°C @ 60W1.78 GHz @ 1.11 GHz @ 1.02 GHz @ 66°C @ 30W
Dell Precision 15 35902.84 GHz @ 2.33 GHz @ 1.63 GHz @ 66°C @ 63W2.82 GHz @ 2.32 GHz @ 1.60 GHz @ 79°C @ 64W2.15 GHz @ 1.66 GHz @ 1.27 GHz @ 75°C @ 42W
Lenovo Yoga 7i 2-in-1 (14″, Gen 9)2.85 GHz @ 2.31 GHz @ 1.68 GHz @ 70°C @ 53W2.73 GHz @ 2.25 GHz @ 1.62 GHz @ 90°C @ 53W1.14 GHz @ 0.99 GHz @ 0.93 GHz @ 63°C @ 22W
MSI Summit E13 AI Evo A1M2.24 GHz @ 1.80 GHz @ 1.32 GHz @ 73°C @ 40W2.15 GHz @ 1.79 GHz @ 1.29 GHz @ 83°C @ 40W1.74 GHz @ 1.00 GHz @ 1.00 GHz @ 77°C @ 28W
Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i (14″, Gen 9)2.41 GHz @ 2.07 GHz @ 1.40 GHz @ 70°C @ 47W2.34 GHz @ 2.02 GHz @ 1.40 GHz @ 83°C @ 47W2.00 GHz @ 1.59 GHz @ 1.10 GHz @ 78°C @ 35W
Dell Inspiron 16 Plus 76403.50 GHz @ 2.70 GHz @ 1.90 GHz @ 80°C @ 80W2.82 GHz @ 2.65 GHz @ 2.42 GHz @ 99°C @ 77W2.74 GHz @ 2.28 GHz @ 1.69 GHz @ 90°C @ 55W
Dell Inspiron 14 Plus 74403.22 GHz @ 2.62 GHz @ 1.74 GHz @ 89°C @ 80W2.64 GHz @ 2.61 GHz @ 2.49 GHz @ 100°C @ 73W2.50 GHz @ 1.99 GHz @ 1.40 GHz @ 83°C @ 45W
HP OMEN Transcend 14 (14-fb0000)3.38 GHz @ 2.65 GHz @ 2.29 GHz @ 65°C @ 85W3.22 GHz @ 2.67 GHz @ 2.43 GHz @ 73°C @ 80W2.87 GHz @ 2.45 GHz @ 1.68 GHz @ 76°C @ 61W
Dell XPS 16 96403.58 GHz @ 2.72 GHz @ 2.27 GHz @ 86°C @ 97W3.39 GHz @ 2.73 GHz @ 1.92 GHz @ 90°C @ 80W3.02 GHz @ 2.37 GHz @ 1.70 GHz @ 84°C @ 60W
Dell XPS 14 94403.01 GHz @ 2.55 GHz @ 1.81 GHz @ 88°C @ 64W1.96 GHz @ 2.53 GHz @ 2.22 GHz @ 96°C @ 58W2.17 GHz @ 1.88 GHz @ 1.33 GHz @ 83°C @ 38W
Dell XPS 13 93402.26 GHz @ 2.43 GHz @ 2.19 GHz @ 100°C @ 59W1.21 GHz @ 1.34 GHz @ 2.48 GHz @ 96°C @ 38W1.52 GHz @ 1.25 GHz @ 1.67 GHz @ 96°C @ 32W
HP Spectre x360 16 (16-aa0000)3.02 GHz @ 2.41 GHz @ 1.70 GHz @ 72°C @ 64W2.93 GHz @ 2.41 GHz @ 1.93 GHz @ 85°C @ 64W2.39 GHz @ 1.98 GHz @ 1.40 GHz @ 80°C @ 45W
Lenovo Yoga 9i (14, Gen 9)2.95 GHz @ 2.46 GHz @ 1.63 GHz @ 61°C @ 68W2.59 GHz @ 2.23 GHz @ 1.47 GHz @ 83°C @ 52W2.31 GHz @ 1.98 GHz @ 1.32 GHz @ 75°C @ 37W
ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED (UX3405)2.91 GHz @ 2.40 GHz @ 1.60 GHz @ 86°C @ 64W2.20 GHz @ 2.00 GHz @ 1.69 GHz @ 102°C @ 60W1.12 GHz @ 1.52 GHz @ 0.84 GHz @ 78°C @ 28W

The HP optimization is kind of different since the frequencies in medium loads are higher than the ones in short stress. Still, a 2.70 GHz / 2.22 GHz P and E-core clock after 30 seconds of maximum poundage is an adequate result for a thin laptop. It also tops the ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 in longer loads.

Comfort during full load

The two performance modes can be found in the MyHP app. When the processor is fully stressed, the single fan remains almost quiet which is good considering the 28W chip under the bonnet.

When using the device for something heavier like video converting, the hotspot on the keyboard is on the upper row of keys and it reaches 45°C which is fine. The zone of the bottom display bezel that is in front of the rear exhaust hits 50°C.

Applying the “Smart Sense” preset results in 1.75 GHz / 1.00 GHz and P and E-core clock in max CPU stress. This is higher than the base frequencies officially specified by Intel for this processor. However, the fan remains nearly silent, which is beneficial for users who prioritize quiet operation over maximum performance.

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 10 hours of video playback. To achieve that, you have to apply the “Battery Saver” preset in the Windows “Power & Battery” menu and select the “Smart Sense” mode in the MyHP app.


Disassembly, Upgrade options, and Maintenance

To open this notebook, you have to undo just 5 Phillips-head screws. Use a lever tool to pop the zones close to the top two edges. Lift the middle of the rear as well. The next step is to simply pry the sides and the front with a thin plastic tool.

The inside of the bottom plate houses thermal pads for the WWAN slot and the SSD.

Our laptop is equipped with the default 56Wh battery. You can also pick a device with a 76Wh variant. To take it out, detach the connector from the motherboard, and undo the 4 Phillips-head screws which hold the unit in place. The capacity is enough for 10 hours of video playback.

The metal shrouds protecting the memory zone and SSD can be removed by gently lifting the attached fabric handles.

According to HP, the two SODIMMs fit 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. There is a tiny cooling pad below the NVMe drive.

The Wi-Fi card is placed on the right of the thermal system and the WWAN slot for optional 4G or 5G connectivity is positioned below the fan.

The cooling seems standard. It has a large fan, a pair of heat pipes, one top-mounted heat sink, and a heat spreader.


Verdict

The HP EliteBook 860 G11 ticks a lot of checkmarks when it comes to office devices. It has a clean design, a smooth finish that doesn’t pick up smudges with ease, and great input devices. The port selection impresses with two Thunderbolt 4 ports and the upgradability is on point with the pair of SODIMMs. The only thing that we are missing is another M.2 slot. The comfort under max CPU load is good, the fan is almost quiet and the keyboard feels just warm.

The 1200p screen (CMN1638) is typical for a workhorse like this laptop. It’s a PWM-free unit with nice viewing angles, 317 nits of max brightness, and a 1540:1 contrast ratio. The low sRGB coverage isn’t suitable for content creation.

The Core Ultra 7 155H reaches 2.70 GHz / 2.22 GHz for the P and E cores in medium loads which is more than enough for normal usage. In longer stress, the frequencies are lower but still within reasonable limits. In this scenario, the near-quiet fan is a nice bonus.

The EliteBook 860 G11 is a solid offer in its category thanks to the long battery life, the metal chassis, the adequate performance, and the nice keyboard.

You can check the prices and configurations in our Specs System: https://laptopmedia.com/series/hp-elitebook-860-g11/

Pros

  • Metal build
  • The matte finish is almost fingerprint-proof
  • Good dimensions for a 16-incher (1.729 kg / 9.02 mm – 16.35 mm)
  • The Core Ultra 7 155H maintains 2.70 GHz / 2.22 GHz P and E core clocks in medium loads
  • Wide viewing angles + 16:10 aspect ratio (CMN1638)
  • 317 nits of max brightness (CMN1638)
  • 1540:1 contrast ratio (CMN1638)
  • Great spill-resistant keyboard
  • Smooth glass touchpad
  • 2x Thunderbolt 4 + 2x Type-A ports
  • The fan is nearly quiet in “Performance” mode during heavy CPU loads
  • Almost silent fan in “Smart Sense” mode during heavy CPU loads
  • Long battery battery life considering the modest 56Wh capacity and the 28W CPU (10 hours of video playback)
  • 5MP Web camera with a privacy shutter
  • Well-cooled NVMe
  • Lid with a lever design
  • Solid base
  • Quality sound
  • Smart Card Reader, NFC, fingerprint reader, IR Web camera, vPro, Intel Evo, eSIM, backlit keyboard (all are optional)


Cons

  • Just a single M.2 slot
  • You can’t open the lid with one hand
  • Tons of optional features
  • Low sRGB coverage (CMN1638)

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments