The HP EliteBook 8440w represents the HP's first 14-inch mobile workstation. For those who aren't already familiar with mobile workstations, these high-performance business laptops are different from typical notebooks because anything labeled as a "workstation" must meet specific hardware and software requirements in order to meet the industry standards for PCs designed for technical or scientific applications. In short, while there are many 14-inch business notebooks on the market this is the first 14-inch laptop that packs enough bells and whistles to be considered a "workstation."
Our review unit of the HP EliteBook 8440w features the following configuration:
- Intel Core i7 620M Processor 2.66GHz (turbo mode up to 3.33GHz, 4MB L3 cache)
- Microsoft Genuine Windows 7 Professional (64-bit)
- 14-inch LED-backlit HD+ display (1600 x 900)
- NVIDIA Quadro FX 380M (512MB)
- 4GB DDR3 1333MHz RAM
- 320GB 7200RPM HDD
- Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n), Ethernet, Modem, and Bluetooth Connectivity
- 9-Cell Battery (10.8V)
- Dimensions: 13.2 x 9.2 x 1.5 inches (including feet)
- Weight: 5.89lbs
- Price as configured: $1,649 (starting at $1,499)
Build and Design
The HP EliteBook line of business notebooks and mobile workstations has enjoyed much success over the last two years. These business rugged laptops meet or exceed the needs of most business professionals and have quickly found a place next to popular business notebooks like the Dell Latitude series and the Lenovo ThinkPad line.
A huge part of the success of the EliteBooks has been the "HP DuraCase" and "HP DuraFinish" which is essentially a strong magnesium alloy inner shell strengthened by a brushed aluminum outer shell that is so scratch resistant you can't even scratch it with steel wool. The EliteBook 8440w maintains the HP DuraCase heritage but adds a new gunmetal anodized-aluminum finish, metal hinges with steel pin axles and reinforced display latch with four-point lockdown. The base of the laptop feels very strong and would definitely survive many bumps and bruises that other laptops might not. There is no flex in the keyboard, not even directly above the optical drive where most keyboards tend to flex. The underside of the notebook is also similarly rigid and strong with the exception of a little flex immediately underneath the notebook's optical drive. Although we don't recommend it, you can stand on this notebook and you'll barely notice any flex beneath your feet. The Elitebook is rated to support up to 136kg (300 pounds) of weight, so it makes sense that we didn't detect any flex during our standard lab tests.<!--[if gte vml 1]> <![endif]-->
For those who are interested, the 8440w meets or exceeds the durability tests under military standards (MIL-STD 810G), measuring levels of environmental reliability (dust, water, heat, and cold). The keyboard is also spill resistant with drains located at the bottom of the chassis to protect your notebook in the event of a spill.
The outer shell of the screen casing, as previously mentioned, is made of aluminum. Once you open the lid you'll find a convenient keyboard light located at the top of the screen bezel. Just push the button on the top of the screen and a small LED pops out shining a light on your keyboard. This is perfect for typing while traveling in a car or airplane without turning on an overhead light to bother people sitting next to you. The laptop screen housing is also extremely solid and can barely be twisted even when significant force is applied.
The 8440w also features the now standard hard drive shock protection in the form of HP 3D DriveGuard which will help to protect your hard drive in the event the laptop gets dropped or violently bumped. HP also includes HP ProtectTools with drive encryption, Device Access Manager, HP Spare Key (a program that helps employees access their computer in case they forget their password), HP Disk Sanitizer, File Sanitizer, and HP ProtectTools with Computrace LoJack so that you can remotely delete data in the event that your laptop is stolen and use the LoJack theft recovery services to assist law enforcement with the recovery of your notebook.
One of the main things that business notebooks need to have that consumer notebooks don't is extremely easy access to internal components. IT managers have to be able to open up a notebook to customize systems as needed or make repairs. HP engineers made it quite easy to access the RAM, hard drive, and wireless cards inside the 8440w. Four screws are all that you need to remove in order to access those internals, and it's just as easy to put everything back.
One final thing that's worth mentioning in the build and design section is that the EliteBook 8440w is completely BFR/PVC free (not including the optional 3G Gobi Module or the power adapter) as part of HP's new commitment to environmental responsibility. While not every business buyer is concerned about this, it's nice to know that HP is a focused on being green.Screen and Speakers
The EliteBook 8440w comes equipped with a 14" anti-glare display with a 16:9 widescreen ratio. At 1600 x 900 pixels, this 720p high-definition display is perfectly usable and features good color and contrast. The LED-backlit panel offers excellent brightness and we typically left the brightness set to between 50% and 70% when using the notebook indoors. We know many people are concerned about the transition from 16:10 to 16:9 ratio screens (because this means less vertical resolution) but this 1600 x 900 panel offers a higher resolution than most 1280 x 800 panels used in 14-inch business notebooks.Horizontal viewing angles are pretty good and you only start to notice some color shift after you get more than 75 degrees off center. Vertical viewing angles are only average as the screen begins to wash out from above and colors begin to invert from below after about 45 degrees in either direction.
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While we're on the topic of the nice screen, it's worth mentioning that the 8440w is one of the first HP notebooks that will come pre-loaded with HP SkyRoom, a new high-definition videoconferencing software that really impressed our editors. We will have a more in-depth look at SkyRoom in our upcoming review of the HP EliteBook 8540p, but I couldn't resist mentioning this awesome video conferencing technology.
The lap-firing stereo speakers used in the EliteBook 8440w have a fantastic volume range and offer excellent highs and midtones with a hint of bass. Unfortunately, since these are lap-firing speakers the audio is directed down rather than up and toward the user. If you use the 8440w like a "laptop" then the sound will be muffled in your legs. The speakers in the 8440w more than good enough for watching a webcast or hearing system sounds, and the highest volume settings are loud enough to fill an office with sound for a presentation with just a hint of distortion at peak volume.
The single headphone jack on the 8440w works well with the two different brands of earphones I used during the test. No static or other noise was noticed through the jack besides imperfections in the audio source itself.
Keyboard and Touchpad
The full-size keyboard on the 8440w is a nice update to the keyboard seen on the last generation of EliteBooks. The new keyboard uses flat, semi-chiclet style keys and provides excellent spacing between keys for typing. Each key features the "HP DuraKey" finish which is a highly durable textured finish applied to each key to give the keyboard a nice matte appearance and prevents the "shine" that appears on old keyboards after the buildup of dirt and oils from your fingertips. As previously mentioned, the Magnesium alloy keyboard tray features drain holes to help direct accidental spills away from the delicate electronics inside your laptop.The individual key presses are quiet without loud clicking sounds as you type. The depth of each key press is excellent, though some people may dislike the flat, chiclet-style keys. Overall the keyboard layout is extremely nice for a 14-inch business laptop.
The Synaptics touchpad is very responsive to my touch with a scroll zone on the right side that works exactly as it should. Granted, the touchpad is a little small for a modern notebook, but it's not too bad overall. The matte touchpad texture is okay, but doesn't deliver the same high-quality feel as the rest of the notebook. The rubberized touchpad buttons are about the right size and feel quite nice when pressed. The only problem I have with the touchpad buttons is the fact that they are hinged rather than simple press-down buttons. The buttons work by "swinging" down from a hinge located at the top edge of the button. This means that if you press the top edge of the buttons nothing happens. You have to press the middle or bottom of the buttons so that the buttons can swing down from the hinge. I don't have any idea why HP did that.
On a brighter note, the trackpoint/touchpoint is easily one of the best we've seen this side of a ThinkPad. If you're someone who like using the touchpoint then you're in luck with this machine.
Ports and Features
The 8440w features a great number of ports on all sides so let's take a brief tour ...
Left side: Here we see the heat vent, three USB 2.0 ports, FireWire 400, audio jacks and the ExpressCard slot.
Right side: Optical drive, smartcard reader, combo USB/eSATA port, Ethernet and modem.
Rear side: The security lock slot, battery, hinges, power jack, DisplayPort, and VGA out.
Front side: Speakers, memory card slot and screen latch release.<!--nextpage--><!--pagetitle:HP EliteBook 8440w Performance, Benchmarks and Conclusion-->
Performance and Benchmarks
Our EliteBook 8440w came with the new Intel 620M Core i7 processor, clocking in at 2.26GHz with four cores ... although our test system ran a little fast at 2.67GHz. As is common with workstation-class machines, the 8440w features NVIDIA Quadro graphics in the form of the Quadro FX 380M with 512MB of dedicated RAM. This gives the EliteBook significantly more power than a typical business notebook and a jaw-dropping level of performance with only a modest cost to the battery life. A 320GB 7200RPM hard drive was also included, which helped applications load without much lag. This notebook should easily exceed the expectations of all but the most demanding professionals in terms of graphics performance.
With that said, let's jump into the performance benchmarks.
wPrime processor comparison results (lower scores mean better performance):
PCMark05 measures overall system performance (higher scores mean better performance):
3DMark06 measures overall graphics performance for gaming and 3D rendering (higher scores mean better performance):
HDTune storage drive performance test:
Heat and Noise
During normal use (browsing the web or working on a text document) the EliteBook 8440w remained quite cool and very quiet. The exhaust fan wasn't audible except when running performance benchmarks or stressing the CPU and graphics. You won't have to worry about bothering coworkers or clients with unwanted noise coming from your laptop in a quiet office.<!--[if gte vml 1]> <![endif]-->
Finally, we recorded the following external temperatures using an IR thermometer after running two consecutive PCMark05 benchmarks. This should serve as an indicator of how hot the notebook will get after about 30 minutes of serious use. All temperatures are listed in degrees Fahrenheit. It's obvious that the bottom of the notebook near the RAM and CPU heatsink are the hottest parts of the notebook.
Battery
HP offers the EliteBook 8440w with your choice of either a 6-cell or 9-cell Lithium-Ion battery. The battery life of the standard 6-cell battery is good and the 9-cell delivers almost 1.8 times the battery life of the standard battery. During our timed tests, with the laptop set to "balanced" mode, wireless active, and 70% screen brightness, the 8440w lasted for 3 hours and 57 minutes. Battery life with the 9-cell is closer to 7 hours. Battery life can also be extended using the "power saver" power profile in Windows 7 ... or you can purchase the 8440w with the "slightly" lower voltage 2.4GHz Core i5 520M processor.Conclusion
The EliteBook 8440w marks the beginning of a new class of mobile workstations. This durable 14-inch notebook packs all the processing a graphics horsepower you're likely to need and does it for a reasonable price. Although $1,649 isn't exactly cheap, this is more affordable than many other 14-inch business notebooks with lower performance numbers. If HP added a larger touchpad and better touchpad buttons then this mobile workstation would be absolutely perfect. As is, the 8440w is still a masterpiece among 14-inch business-class notebooks and is an obvious Editor's Choice.Pros:
- Extreme durability
- Great keyboard
- First 16:9 ratio 14-inch mobile workstation!
Cons:
Related Articles:
- Small Touchpad
- Hinged Touchpad Buttons = Bad
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Jerry Jackson Administrator NBR Reviewer
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The Dell M2400 is a 14.1" workstation...is that 0.1" really a big deal? Speaking of that, it would have been great to see performance comparisons to other workstations (like the M2400), though I suspect this still would have beat the M2400, M4400, W500 and 8530w.
EDIT: I followed the link to the 8530w review and compared scores.
8530w
wPrime:30.92
PCMark05: 6,287
3DMark06: 5,230
8440w
wPrime: 15.96 (lower = better...almost 2x faster)
PCMark05: 7557 (higher = better)
3DMark06: 3696 (lower = worse)
The new i7 really kicks it with the wPrime and the overall system performance is better too. However, the 3D score is much lower. The 8530w used the Quadro FX 770M while the newer (and smaller) 8440w uses the Quadro FX 380M (both 512MB). Of course 380 is less than 770, so for once Nvidia's cryptic naming schemes pay off. -
I do have to agree that the 8440w isn't really in a class of it's own based on screen size. I have to say though, 1600x900 on a 14" workstation... I think I just found my next powerhouse laptop
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Charles P. Jefferies Lead Moderator Super Moderator
Excellent review, Jerry.
HP's business line continues to get better and better (from already being top-of-the-line/best in class); this notebook seems to excel just about everywhere. I am liking the 14" 1600x900 resolution panel. Also impressive is how cool and quiet it runs with the quad-core and Nvidia graphics. The battery life is reasonable given the specs, and impressive with the 9-cell.
It's out of my price range, but if I had the money, an EliteBook would be my primary machine. I am thoroughly impressed with my ProBook (one step down from the EliteBook).
How is the keyboard on this vs. the 5310m? Harder/softer, quieter/louder, as fun to use? Details, details. -
Hmm, if you still have the thing, can you please check if the UEFI firmware brokenness has been fixed?
http://forums11.itrc.hp.com/service/forums/bizsupport/questionanswer.do?threadId=1396183 -
I do agree that HP is getting with their business line, i would like to see switchable graphics, 1600x900 resolution is amazing. How much mhz is the quadro card?
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I must say..although I like to think of myself as a committed Latitude user/owner, I must say that the EliteBook line looks awesome. I like the lighter color metal used on the body. Great review!
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Sorry but i have to criticise this review. If i was buying a "professional" PC i would want at least a 3D Rendering bench and OpenGL bench. Cinebench R10 by Maxon is an easy one and takes only about 10 minutes to make: http://www.maxon.net/index.php?id=162&L=0 there is no need to install, just run.
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JabbaJabba ThinkPad Facilitator
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Did you guys get the battery slice to try out and see if the claim of nearly 24 hours is real or not?
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The review contains an error:
See here: Notebookcheck: Intel Core i7-620M -
wearetheborg Notebook Virtuoso
Cons:
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No 3 mouse buttons ?
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5.9 lbs for 14 inch laptop is too much
J erryJ, could you compare the thinkpad rollcage lids with the lid construction of the elitebooks ? As I understand, the elitebooks have some sort of honeycomb construction in the lids. -
EDIT: also,weight is 4.7 pounds,not 5.9
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JabbaJabba ThinkPad Facilitator
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My point was that the review misleads people into thinking there is no other business class workstation in the "14 inch class". This is really only true if we make a 14 inch business workstation class, and a 14.1 inch business workstation class...each class containing only one notebook rendering the classification scheme redundant. -
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I can't wait for the 8540p! such a shame that we have to eat those 16:9 crap screens... I think I got my 8530p just in time!!!
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This is a good example that shows why so many very large companies have switched from Dell and their inferior quality and support to HP W series laptops. Three that I have been involved in over the last few years. Companies that buy many thousands of laptops every year. I would take a W series over any other PC laptop including my current work issued Thinkpad T400. Lenovo's build quality and materials are inferior to the older IBM Thinkpads as well as the HP W series. Of course I still will take my 15 inch Mac Book Pro over any PC laptop.
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Hey Jerry, nice review. Little typo here.
Seeing as to how you guys have the 8540p in hands, would it be possible for you to comment on whether you have the 8740w in testing as well? -
Here is Nvidia's page for the Quadro FX 380:
http://www.nvidia.com/object/product_quadro_fx_380_us.html
GDDR3 and a 128-bit memory would make for a semi decent gaming experience. -
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it's NOT a quad core. it's dual core with hyperthreading.
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Good review bad price !
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I just realized another point about the review. There's mention of HP's Skyroom, but no mention of a webcamera at all? -
I quite like the new colour scheme, it's nice to see that HP listened to the general public and went for something darker instead of the flashy silver scheme.
Unfortunately from what I understand NBR's review target audience are the "general public" hence the lack of detailed benchmarks which is fair enough for consumer notebooks. But then again, what is the point of reviewing a workstations without suitable benchmarks?
Though by the looks of the 3DM06 score it looks like a entry level GPU or perhaps a crippled mid range one with it's score heavily boosted by the CPU. I guess we will find out soon enough what the FX380M is based on.
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"the first 14" workstation ever created with at 16:9 ratio screen"
which of course BAD news.
These laptop makers making stupid widescreen laptops. -
Argh, no ATI option? Bleh. I much prefer ATI's Windows drivers over nvidia's.
Also, to check the UEFI thing, you'd install WinVista or Win7 this special way:
http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/c01717787/c01717787.pdf
PLEASE do check that out. What I noticed when I tried that on my 8530w: I got the old Vista-style boot logo instead of the new Win7 logo, and I got the Intel 5300 driver failing to load. -
wearetheborg Notebook Virtuoso
So many wrong things ....
T42's also suffered from the infamous GPU problem due to insufficient chassis rigidity.
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Also, the HP business notebooks (at least my nx9420 and 8730w) always had "hinged touchpad buttons." Never bother me, though I do use tap clicking more often. The lack of a middle mouse button is not cool. However, can you try pressing the left and right buttons simultaneously? I remember doing so on the nx9420 activated a middle click.
Oh and for those waiting for the 8540 and 8740, I've heard those are staying 16:10, so no panic needed. -
As nice as the rest of the notebook is, I hope no one buys it because of the junk screen aspect.
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wearetheborg Notebook Virtuoso
Its not just about the number of pixels .... physical size matters too. 16:9 is just ...meh. -
I would trade my current laptop for that one in a heart beat.
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Aside from the UEFI issues, can you please check what sort of advanced features the touchpad offers? Please check the mouse control panel for fancy gestures, and press alt-shift-i in the mouse control panel and check for multiple finger reporting.
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16:10 on the 8540p/w. can anyone confirm? I don't plan to buy one for at least a year, likely 3 years (when my current machines warrenty is out) if 16:10 makes it that long.
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Notebookcheck.net for example has already a good database of OpenGL Cinebench values for GPU cards. -
I really like the Elitebooks, especially the last generation (and probably this one too). The only places where I felt the Thinkpads really won over the Elitebooks (at least in the last generation) were in heat management and noise (Thinkpads are the quietest machines I've ever used) and the availability of switchable graphics.
This Elitebook 8440w looks like a mighty fine machine though -
wearetheborg Notebook Virtuoso
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Thinkpads are quite yes, but compaired to my Elitebook it feels like a cheap consumer laptop. The amount of flex in the palmrest on the T500 is unacceptable and I will likely never buy one again. currently I Love 8530p which may have to last me 3+years... especially after considering the current screens.
speaking of lacking quality http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=448123
No more lid rollcage on thinkpads. now The Thinkpad has one less thing on the Elitebook or latidude. -
It seems the 8540 series is 16:9. I originally thought they were 16:10 due to a rumor. They seem to have evidence of the 8740 series being 16:10 though...
The 8540 series have USB 3.0? Neat! -
it's sad about 16:10, it's gonna have to be a killer notebook if i'm gonna buy a 16:9 machine in the near future. next up secure a few more 16:10 desktop panels... -
What is the purpose of a laptop?
Hope its mainly for work, internet, programming, etc... But these laptop manufacturers are making it a movie viewing machine with 16:9 screens 16:9 is best for watching blue-ray movies but makes uncomfortable when you open any IDE for programing -
it sounds like HP at least isn't cheaping out on build unlike Lenovo. -
Personally I think people complain about the 16:10 to 16:9 switch too much; I don't remember this many problems when everything went from 4:3/5:4 to 16:10. I'm not trying to start arguments so I'll just shut up here.
Overall, it looks really nice and durable, but I couldn't see myself with one, I like designs that are a bit more than solid colors. -
When I first saw the review I thought, "Why are they reviewing my 3-year-old laptop?". Then I realized it was the EliteBook 8440w, and not the 15.4" Compaq nw8440 (The predecessor to the Compaq 8510w, which was the predecessor to the EliteBook 8530w)
Overall thoughts: A excellent laptop that had to be RUINED by a 16:9 screen. Seriously, HP?? What makes you think that workstation user wants a 16:9 screen?? Maybe for HD video viweing/editing, but for every other workstation application, 16:9 is a BIG no-no.
What was HP smoking when they made THAT decision?? Either that or they're too lazy to fight back the LCD manufacturers...
Otherwise, this is excellent! I'm not too sure about the Sony VAIO-style keyboard, and why are there only 2 mouse buttons? I don't mind the fact that they're hinged; the reason HP did it that way is because that's how they've done it for the past 4-5 years. However, they used to shape the buttons to compensate for the hinged design; they were raised on the bottom edge. That's how the buttons are on my HP Compaq nw8440 (not to be confused with the 8440w!)
Throw in a 16:10 screen and a 3-mouse-button option, an HP has a REAL winner!
HP EliteBook 8440w Review
Discussion in 'Notebook News and Reviews' started by Jerry Jackson, Jan 6, 2010.