HP EliteBook X G2i weighs under 1 kg but packs Core Ultra power

The EliteBook X G2i is HP’s 2026 premium business laptop with an Intel chip inside. HP showed the EliteBook X G2 family at CES in January 2026 with a choice of Intel, AMD or Qualcomm chips. The Intel models, including a convertible Flip version with a stylus that slots into the side, were due first in February, with the others following in spring.

Our review unit used the Intel Core Ultra X7 358H, part of the chip family Intel calls Panther Lake. It has 16 cores, boosts up to 4.8GHz and includes Intel Arc B390 graphics built into the processor. There is also an NPU, a small processor dedicated to AI jobs, which speeds up features in Copilot and in apps such as Photoshop without draining the main chip.

The full spec sheet of the tested model looks like this:

• Screen: 14 inches, 2880 x 1800 resolution, 120Hz, 500 nits, full DCI-P3 color
• Memory and storage: 32GB of LPDDR5x RAM soldered on board, 1TB NVMe SSD
• Ports: two Thunderbolt 4 (40Gbps), HDMI 2.1 and a headphone jack on the left; a 10Gbps USB-C, a USB-A and a security lock slot on the right
• Wireless: Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6, with 5G available on some versions through HP’s built-in eSIM
• Webcam: 5MP with infrared face login and a physical privacy shutter

For everyday office work, the G2i never broke a sweat. Word documents, large spreadsheets and PowerPoint decks opened and responded instantly, and the sharp 3K screen gives you more room to lay windows side by side than a standard laptop panel.

Creative apps were the bigger surprise. Lightroom built photo libraries quickly, Photoshop ran its AI tools without stalling, and both CapCut and Premiere Pro handled short 4K edits smoothly. The one catch was space: we had to attach an external SSD because 1TB fills up fast with video footage.

Independent lab testing backs this up. Panther Lake lifts CPU performance by about 32 percent over the Lunar Lake chip in last year’s EliteBook X G1i. That was a laptop built for battery life rather than speed, so the jump turns the Intel model into a machine developers and editors can actually work on. Averaged across all benchmarks, it even edges out the older AMD version by about 3 percent, though the AMD model still holds up better under long, heavy multicore loads.

Yes, within reason. The Arc B390 graphics are strong for a chip with no separate graphics card. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and Hogwarts Legacy both ran well at the default settings the games picked on install. Push the graphics higher and frame rates drop while the fans get loud.

Think of it as a laptop that can fill a hotel evening with a modern game, not a replacement for a gaming PC. Early hands-on testing found the same: several Steam games played well once a few graphics options were turned down.

HP makes the shell from magnesium alloy, which is very strong for its weight. The trade-off is flex. Press on the lid or the palm rest and both give a little, and tapping next to the trackpad can sound hollow. That can make a $3,599 laptop feel cheaper than it is, even though the material is tough.

Weight figures vary depending on who you ask and which screen you choose. Our unit came in just under a kilo, early hands-on reports put it at about 2.2 pounds and 0.6 inches thick, and one lab measured its review unit at 1.2 kg. Every version is light enough that you will barely notice it in a bag.

The keyboard is a highlight, with a firm, comfortable feel for long typing sessions. The screen bezels are plastic, though, which looks a little plain next to a MacBook or Surface Laptop at a similar price.

Battery life is one of the strongest reasons to buy. Lab testing measured around 18 hours, the same as the efficient Lunar Lake model it replaces, and early hands-on use with the 56Wh battery stretched across several days of regular work. The charger is tiny, with folding prongs.

The price is the weak point. The model tested here costs £2,445.59 including VAT in the UK and about $3,599 for a similar setup in the US, sold through HP and major retailers. Step up to more storage or memory and the price climbs steeply. Before launch, early reviewers expected cheaper G2 versions starting in the low $1,000s, so it pays to check which screen and chip you are getting.

For most people, this laptop makes sense when an employer is buying it. It suits frequent travelers who want one light machine for email, slide decks, photo work and the odd video edit, plus the security features IT departments ask for, like infrared face login, a webcam shutter and a lock slot.

If you are paying yourself, the math is harder. You get more power than most office work needs, 1TB of storage you cannot easily expand, and RAM that is fixed for life. Buy the amount of memory you will need for the life of the laptop, budget for an external SSD if you edit video, and compare the Flip version if you want to use a pen.