Review HP Elite Book 820 G2 notebook - pros and cons

From professional to budget models, but always fashionable, popular and high-profile. It's all about HP EliteBook notebooks. These devices do not need praise - their name, popularity and functionality will say about themselves better than any advertisement. This review is dedicated to the HP EliteBook 840 G2, which followed the predecessor G1.

Design and main characteristics

Just like the previous model, the hero of the review is a representative of the middle price segment, but the common features of laptops do not end there: a display with a 14-inch diagonal, four USB 3.0 ports and an almost identical battery in capacity unite these two models.

But not all G2 and 1 are alike, like twins. There are also differences. For example, the G1 has a Has-well processor, while the G2 has a Broad-well processor. The difference in hard drives is also obvious: SSD for G1 and HDD + SSD for G2. We can safely say that the G2 is fraught with, indeed, many surprises.

Appearance

If we consider the design of the device, HP EliteBook 840 G2 does not differ too much from the older model in appearance. The top cover is matte, stylish and pleasant to the touch. Decorated on top with a shiny company logo, it looks discreet, but this is what attracts the eye. The device has no sharp corners, the edges are streamlined and pleasantly rounded.

The interior of the laptop looks no less stylish. The silver color adds recognizability and makes the design more interesting thanks to such contrasts. Without silver inclusions, it would be too strict and boring, and with them it would be better - fresh and futuristic.

If you open the laptop, we will see the Pointing stick - the most convenient device that can replace the mouse, and makes it possible to completely abandon it in everyday use. A keyboard with a touchpad is also present, and pleases the eye with a stylish look.

The developers have not removed the proprietary frame around the screen, it is there and even looks good. Ventilation holes were installed on the left side of the laptop and on the bottom. Several materials were used for the manufacture of the device: in addition to the plastic part, there are also aluminum and magnesium body elements.

The rugged design of the EliteBook 840 G2 will make you feel good. The keyboard does not bend when pressed, nothing creaks and there is no feeling that the plastic will burst now, as happens in some low-quality models. Seeing this power and high-quality assembly, you can safely carry it with you every day without fear of damage.

The dimensions of the device are by no means gigantic, only 237 by 339 and 21 mm, so there will be no problems with transportation. Light enough, weighs only one and a half kilograms. It's not much like holding a few books in your hands.

Webcam, screen and clear sound

The laptop boasts a 14-inch display and an anti-glare surface. When the display does not glare during operation, it contributes to comfortable communication with the device. It is already inconvenient to brag about a resolution of 1366 by 768 pixels, since many competitors have long had HD and Full Hd. Still, you shouldn't be very upset about this, since the manufacturer also has a lot of models with other resolutions and a touch screen.On the contrary, with the screen diagonal, there are no problems at all, it is perfect for solving all everyday tasks.

The brightness and contrast values ​​in the G2 are quite acceptable, but not outstanding - 270cdm2 and 330 to 1. This means that if you want to work in the park on a sunny sunny day, you risk not seeing anything on the display. You will have to strain your eyesight.

Viewing angles are only good if you look straight ahead - if the screen is tilted, color distortions appear and the brightness drops significantly.

There are two stereo speakers hidden under the grille near the keyboard. The DTS Studio Sound system is responsible for acoustics, significantly improving sound. This arrangement of the speakers is very well thought out - the sound is clear, not blocked, you can watch movies without connecting additional speakers. It's also good for listening to music, but if you want to connect headphones, you can do it, there is a 3.5 jack.

The webcam is built into the upper part of the case, above the screen. The resolution is only 0.9 megapixels, which is not much, but it can handle video calls and skype.

Keyboard

The laptop keys are coated with the thinnest, but at the same time strong layer of Mylar film. Synthetic fiber not only provides moisture protection, but also increases the response of each key, even if the press was weak and not long.

The image on the buttons is clearly and brightly applied, the keyboard operation is almost silent, which does not irritate either the user's ears or those who are nearby.

The color of the main and function keys is the same and does not differ in any way. For text typing, everything is more than well implemented - both the size of the buttons and their distance from each other are convenient and well thought out. The end, home, and pgup / down keys are separate from the rest, decorating the last right column.

Above the keyboard there are three buttons: on the left is the power button, and on the right side is the silent mode button and the inclusion of wireless interfaces.

Directly in the center is the Pointing stick, a more precise position between the g, b, h keys. The joystick behaves well, does not freeze, is pleasant to the touch and responds quickly.
If the user prefers the touch typing method to the usual typing, the joystick will be many times more comfortable than the standard touchpad.

The touchpad itself will conveniently enlarge objects, reduce and scroll horizontally and vertically. There are four buttons above and below the sensor, two on each side, for improved joystick and touch control.

The fingerprint scanner is located to the right of the touch panel. The fingerprint scanner will protect the necessary data from prying eyes and prevent strangers from accessing important documents stored in the device.

Functionality and performance

Out of the box, the HP EliteBook 840 G2 ships with 64-bit Windows 7 Professional. In addition, it is possible to install a licensed version of the operating system Windows 8 and 10Pro. It is possible to alternately switch between versions, choosing the most comfortable one, in the event that several are installed.

The G2 has an Intel Core I5 ​​processor, unlike the older g1 model, which had a fourth generation version and a Has-well processor. The hero of our review has a dual-core processor with a clock speed of 2.3 to 2.9 GHz and three megabytes of level 3 cache.

The power consumption of the core I5 ​​is low, due to the fact that it belongs to the low-voltage segment of the CPU, it will consume no more than 15W of energy.

Performance doesn't break records, but for comfortable daily use it is great. The developers have taken care of those for whom the low-voltage i5 is not enough, and offer to choose other configurations with the 3rd or 3rd version.

The intel hd Graphic 5500 video card is not designed for gamers, it will not show miracles.

Gamers will have to settle for medium and low settings in toys. Both sims 4 and Formula 1 will be able to run at average permissible parameters with a frequency of about thirty frames per second. You can play football in FIFA 17 too, but the settings will have to be optimized. For those users who do not need games so vital, the power of the video card is more than enough.

The rest of the components, such as memory or hard disk, are at a good level.RAM of 4 gigabytes fills only one module, so if it suddenly becomes less fast or just a little, you can always increase and increase up to 16 gigabytes by filling in module number two.

A 500 gigabyte hard drive is almost a classic. This volume is widespread, popular and quite optimal. If the use of a computer does not go beyond the office programs, then this size will be enough and even remain superfluous. Photo albums and your favorite film library will not only be saved, but also replenished from time to time. The size of the SSD cache is 32 gigabytes. You won't be able to store multimedia on it, but it will help out if you need to quickly enter the application or start the system.

Interfaces and connectors

The number of ports and their location are the same for the G1 and G2 models. On the right side of the computer there is a Display port for additional connection of monitors and external devices. There you can also find an audio jack and two holes for USB 3.0 format. Slightly further is the port for the charger and docking station. There is also a slot for reading SD, SDXS and SDHS cards on the lower right side of the device.

There are also several USB 3.0 ports on the left side. There are four of them, and this is very convenient, for example, one of them can be selected for charging a variety of gadgets. On the same side there is a slot for a smart-card and a lock, so that in a crowded place the computer can wait for its owner, without fear of being stolen. Near the left side is one of the ventilation holes, which protects the laptop from overheating, removing hot air.

Now it is impossible to imagine a modern device without WI-FI and Bluetooth. The owner of the G2 laptop does not have to do this, since it supports both wireless communications. Indicator lights let you know about battery level, device operation and other events.

Battery

The battery in the G2 is lithium-polymer, three-section, with a capacity of 50W, everything, like the predecessor G1.

• Battery life when watching videos - 6 hours;
• Internet browsing - 7 hours.

Under full load and gaming, the laptop will run down to two hours. If you want a more powerful battery, you can take care of installing an additional one - this will increase the time spent without recharging. It will become more convenient.

Specifications

For convenience, all the characteristics in the table below:

Price

HP Elite Book 840 G2 in 2018 can be bought at a profit in online stores, for example, on Yandex.market it will turn out to be purchased at a cost of 83,580 rubles.

Pros and cons

After the main features of the model have been considered, it's time to outline its positive and negative qualities.

• Ease of typing;
• Autonomy;
• Design;
• CPU;
• Nested keyboard.

• Display resolution;
• Price;
• Brightness level;
• Viewing angles.

Output

The HP Elite Book 840 G2 is a good, productive laptop for study, work and everyday tasks. There is no special zest or "trick" of its own. Many parameters are similar to its predecessor - the G1 model. For example, screen characteristics, joystick, comfortable possibilities for working with text. The processor in the new version is more powerful, faster and better performance.

For one consumer, some characteristics are important, for another - others. After reading the review, you can draw preliminary conclusions, but the final choice is only yours.